When Darkness Falls
by Jane88
Summary: "What the hell was that! ... Didn't sound like a monster I've ever heard of." Mother Nature strikes at the worst possible time. hurt!Sam and awesome protective!Dean
1. Chapter 1

Just have holidays and time to write a bit. :) Unbeta'd, so I'm to blame for all the mistakes. Enjoy!

**Chapter 1**

„I quit!"

„What?" Sam turned around and stared unbelievingly at his brother who had stopped abruptly.

„I quit! Oh come on Sam, we've been running around for hours in this stinking hole and we still didn't find any traces to follow."

„Well, isn't that the whole point? Cavers gone missing on their trips, no traces left at all?" Sam smirked.

„You know what I mean... smart-ass!" Dean grumbled moodily. „I'm starving and I need to pee. And this smell gives me a hard time not to puke."

„Your fault, shouldn't have had ten beers last night."

„Hey, those guys just couldn't stop talking and drinking soda in a bar – no way." Deans beam of light danced around the cave, stopping on a rock a few feet away which he instantly used as a seat.

„Are you protesting with a sit-in now?" Sam studied his brother incredulously.

„Nope!" Dean started to rummage through their duffle bag, his hand raising triumphantly after a few moments – holding a bag of M&Ms.

„You're kidding, right? We're in the middle of a hunt."

„The way I see it, there's no hunt." Dean ripped the bag open and put a handful of M&Ms into his mouth.

They'd unwillingly stopped in a small mountain town nearby two days ago, no fuel left and being low on funds. They'd gotten into a conversation with some locals during one of Deans poker games, who were just too eager to share their towns gossip with them, not having visitors very often. And their tales caught the hunters attention. Three people have gone missing last month during a trip to the caving site five kilometres out of town. The rescue team just found their backpacks in the entrance of the caves, following their footprints inward just to be left utterly perplexed when those vanished after a few hundred meter. Especially coz the prints proved the cavers to have entered, but showing just in one direction, not to have come out again. They just seemed to have vanished into thin air. That definitely sounded like a case for them.

Research revealed a series of disappearances throughout time and always with the same outcome: no traces left, no signs of any violence, no nothing. Locals had all kinds of explanations: some believable – well, for them at least - like the vengeful ghost of a falsely accused and executed man in 1923. Or a furious witch, returned to get revenge for the witch hunts in the 18th century near the caves. Others rather ridiculous like aliens, a portal to another universe and whatnot. Unfortunately there wasn't a library in town to dig deeper. The internet couldn't give them any answers either. They'd still decided to check it out and packed all kinds of gear to be properly prepared for any surprises.

But there hasn't been any surprises so far. Nothing supernatural or unusual at all. The EMF didn't hum, no living soul they'd run across – neither human nor any kind of creature, no sulfur, no traces, no blood, no bones... nothing. And after hours underground, walking through a labyrinth of hundreds of caves and tunnels, Dean was convinced that the locals in the bar just wanted to give themselfes airs.

„Lets turn around and call it a day."

Sam just gave him a look and pulled a map out of his jacket, that showed him countless of tunnels connected to each other. He had marked the sections they've already come across. Just the left corner of the map was unmarked yet.

„There're only a couple of caves left in the far west. We're quite close, it won't take us longer than an hour to check them out."

But Dean just ignored him while he put more M&Ms into his mouth, munching happily.

„Dean?" Sam shone his flashlight beam directly into his brothers eyes.

„Hey, knock it off! I heard you, just... give me another minute." And Dean closed his eyes and chewed on.

Sam sighed and turned around, but couldn't suppress a smile. He took another look at the map, trying to make out the tunnel they'd have to take to get to the west section of the caves. 'Must be on the right-hand side.' He looked up and his flashlight illuminated another long tunnel, supported by old wooden beams just like the others. The caves had been part of a silver mine once but were closed due to exploitation about 40 years ago. It was reopened for adventurous cavers and tourists but after the first unexplainable disappearances it became deterrent and the once popular town was almost deserted now, leaving only a few locals behind who were too old, had too many good memories to move away like most young people had done.

Sam heard the rustling of wrapping paper behind him and saw Dean tucking the empty bag of M&Ms into their duffle.

„Alright, here we go!" And his brother strode past him, full of energy, leaving a perplexed Sam behind who shook his head in disbelief and followed him.

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

The absolute silence was only broken by their footsteps, reverberating eerily around them. They passed smaller caves from time to time which they've already checked out a few hours ago. Sam had marked each with chalk to ensure that they wouldn't loose their bearings and to be sure not to miss any part of the underground labyrinth. Dean led the way, illuminating their path while Sams beam of light danced over the rugged wall. Just smooth rock and dirt, nothing unusual. Or was it? Sam stopped and frowned.

„Dean... don't you think it's a bit strange that we haven't encountered anything yet?"

His brother turned around and gave him an incredulous look.

„Thanks Mr. Obvious! That's exactly what I've been going on about over the last freaking hours!"

But Sam just shook his head. „No, I'm not talking about anything supernatural. I mean ordinary animals, like spiders, bugs, mice, bats... whatever lives in caves. We haven't seen any of it since we started out to the west section."

Deans face was sceptical. „I didn't check each dark corner for any lurking spiders." Sam glowered at him. „Okay, let's say you're right, what does it mean?"

„I'm not sure... if the caves are hunting ground for some kind of creature, it could frighten off other animals, don't you think?"

Dean didn't seem to be convinced. „Yeah... or it could just be a coincidence."

„Yeah, maybe." Sam looked around, knitting his brow. „But I just have this strange feeling..."

Dean considered this and searched the tunnel with his flashlight for any movement himself. He knew from experience that when his brother had his 'feeling', he shouldn't take it lightly. He silently cursed. „Alright, let's keep our eyes open then, shall we?"

They both drew out their guns and advanced carefully, trying to make as little sounds as possible. They passed another small cave, littered with beautiful stalactites and stalagmites and after another look on the map, took the tunnel to their right. They hadn't gone far when a deep grumble stopped them abruptly. Sam wheeled around, cocking his gun while Dean covered his back. But non of them could make out anything in the dimly illuminated distance.

„What the hell was that?", Dean asked with a hushed voice. „Didn't sound like a monster I've ever heard of."

„Me neither."

The next grumble was followed by a slight tremble of the ground beneath their feet, giving them the answer they sought.

„You've gotta be kidding me!" He shot a glance at Sam who had his eyes wide open in realization. Dean was next to him in a second, grapping his arm and hauling him in the direction they'd come from. „Move Sam, move!", he shouted even if he knew they'd never have a chance to escape this underground labyrinth in time.

The rumbling was growing louder as they run, the shaking increased, cracks appeared in the walls and little rocks and dirt rained down on them. They crossed the small cave from a few minutes ago, Sam stumbling ahead closely followed by his swearing big brother, jabbering something about their 'fucking Winchester luck'. But when they reached the tunnel at the opposite side, Dean was knocked down by a blow on the back of his head, scraping his knees and hands in an attempt to break his fall. More rocks were dropping down on him as he tried to cover his head. He heard a cry of pain and raised his eyes just in time to see Sam going down hard a few feet in front of him.

„No! Sammy!" Dean tried to crawl forward, a voice in his head screaming 'Help Sam! Protect Sam!'. But the rocks kept tumbling, blown up dust making it almost impossible to see anything and sending him into a painful coughing fit. Everything shook, the earsplitting roaring and grumbling sounds drowning out his frantic calls for his little brother. And suddenly, just as quickly as it had started, the earthquake came to an end and an eerie and unsettling silence spread around the now pitch-black caves.

**TBC**

Whould love to hear what you think so please leave comments. ;)


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you so much for reading and of course a special thanks to everyone who took the time to give me these wonderful comments! :) I'm sorry for taking so long, I somehow had a bit of a hard time to find the right English words in this chapter, but I'm finally done. So just enjoy!

**Chapter 2**

„Sam?" Even though half-whispered, his voice seemed too loud for his throbbing head and sensitive ears. Dean coughed. „Sammy?" This one was louder, but still didn't evoke any response. It just reverberated around the dark cave, sending shivers down his back.

Where was his little brother? Light, he needed light. Where was the damn flashlight? He must have lost it when he fell. Why the hell an earthquake? Just when they were in the caves! Live's a bitch, especially theirs! He crawled on all fours, frantically scanning the ground with his hands, swearing loudly when he ripped his finger on something sharp.

Wait, his lighter! How could he forget? He searched his pockets, ignoring his now stinging finger. Thank God, it was there. He snapped it open and a small flame appeared. Dust was still swirling around him, making it almost impossible to see anything. But it was better than nothing. He tried to rise, but his spinning head had other ideas, sending him back on his butt almost instantly. He touched the back of his head, vaguely remembering the blow that had sent him nosediving. He felt a bump beneath his dirt-streaked hair, hissing at the contact. But thankfully his hand didn't come away bloody. Okay, staying down then.

Dean started to crawl ahead, lighter raised in front of him, hopefully heading in the direction of his brother. The dust-filled air stung his eyes, making them water and breathing seemed much harder than it normally should be. His hands and knees burned painfully from the abrasions he sustained at his fall. He startled at a sudden clattering sound behind him and whirled around. His heart made a jump when he saw his flashlight lying on the ground. He must have kicked it with his foot. Dean held his breath when he picked it up and tried to turn it on. A stream of light illuminated cracks in a wall just in front of him. It worked.

He looked right, then left. He couldn't see further than he few feet, but the dust seemed to clear slowly and his sight was getting better minute by minute. Time for a second attempt. He used the wall to get up slowly, swaying at first but then steadying himself. After a minute he felt save to move, took off to the left but stayed near the cave wall just in case.

„Sam!" Still no response. „Come on, dude! Talk to me!" He tried to block out the pictures that kept attacking his mind, pictures of his brothers bloody face, lifeless eyes staring up at him. No, he's fine. He'll be fine. He had to stay focused now, had to find Sam.

He stopped abruptly when heavy rocks littering the ground seemed to appear out of thin air, getting clearer with the settling dust. And in the distance his light hit a stone wall, one that hadn't been there before. One built from hundreds of rocks, small and big, piling up to the ceiling and effectively blocking their passage, their way out of this nightmare. Dean couldn't move, didn't want to believe his eyes. They were so screwed!

But it wasn't their obvious predicament that almost stopped his heart and made his skin crawl. It was a movement between the rocks, accompanied by a small and scarcely audible groan. His own aches were forgotten instantly. His feet started to move on their own and took him to Sams side in no time. He fell to his knees next to his little brother – or at least what was visible of him.

Sam lay on his back only a few feet away from the cave-in, surrounded and half-covered by rocks and stones of different sizes. He was hardly recognizable, caked with dirt and dust of the same colour as the ground. If he hadn't moved or given a sound, Dean probably wouldn't have noticed him at all.

„Sammy?" His brother didn't seem to hear him. His eyes were closed, his face contorted and his breathing shallow and fast. Dean carefully touched his face, trying not to startle him.

„Sam, come on! Open your eyes for me."

The effect was almost instantly, the lines of pain dissappearing and his head leaning into his touch. But his eyes stayed closed nevertheless and he mumbled incoherently, apparently not awake enough to catch what was going on. Dean pushed a dirty strand of hair behind his brothers ear, revealing a nasty cut on his temple. He looked closely and prodded it to check if it was still bleeding. A weak hand came up and batted his away.

„Don't do that! Hurts enough without you sticking your finger in it." Sams voice wasn't more than a whisper but it was music to his ears.

Dean looked up and smiled when he saw his favourite puppy-dog eyes scrutinizing him through half-opened eyelids.

„Don't be a baby, it's not that bad. Not even bleeding anymore."

Sam just glared at him. „Jerk!"

„Bitch!"

Sam smiled but it soon turned into a frown. He looked behind Deans looming face above him, his eyes wandering around the dimly lit cave.

„Dean... where... what happened?"

'Oh no, please not a concussion.' Dean silently cursed. „We were on a hunt – well, sort of... not sure if there's anything here at all. Walked around this underground labyrinth for hours and got caught in a fricking earthquake... ring any bells?"

Sam stared at him, looking confused for a moment but when he slowly nodded his head, Dean sighed in relief. Taking his flashlight he checked Sams pupils, nodding in approval when they reacted the same.

„Okay buddy, what else hurts?"

„I'm fine." And just like to prove it, Sam tried to sit up but he didn't come far till he winced and his head fell back to the ground.

„Dammit, stay still!" Dean laid his hand on Sams shoulder, holding him still but giving comfort at the same time. His eyes travelled down his body and he brushed aside debris and smaller rocks to reveal scrapes and bruises which looked like he took on the bar fight of his life. When his hand bumped against one particular heavy rock, which seemed to pin down Sams left arm, an heart-piercing scream escaped his brothers tightly compressed lips, reverberating around the cave and making Dean jump.

„Sorry! Sammy, I'm so sorry!" Dean took his brothers right hand who thankfully clutched his in desperation, almost breaking his fingers. Sams scream turned into a whimper and Dean saw tears trickling down his cheeks, leaving fine traces on his dirty skin.

„Sammy?" Deans eyes were full of concern and panic started to take hold of him. How bad was his little brother injured? How could he get him out of here? No, he had to stay calm. Him freaking out wouldn't do any good. „Sammy?"

Sam was still out of breath and his eyes were shut tight, but his brothers distress seemed to sink in and helped him to fight through the pain.

„Damn, that hurt!", he rasped, coughing slightly. „Felt... like broken."

Dean thought so himself. But unfortunately they didn't have much of a choice here. „It's pinned down. I can't get you out of here as long..." He sighed. „You know what I have to do?"

Sam looked up and even though he tried to hide it, Dean could see his fear of what was about to happen. Stupid little brother, he had all the right to be afraid.

„Yeah, I know... just do it!"

Dean nodded and gave Sams hand a last reassuring squeeze before letting go and positioning himself. He took a deep breath.

„Alright, I'll count to three. You ready?"

„Like I'll ever be..." Sam looked up at him. „Please, just.. don't do it on two... or one..."

Dean smiled. „I won't, I promise. It'll be quick."

„Okay." And with that Sam seemed to accept the inevitable, closed his eyes, pressed his lips together and prepared himself.

Dean crouched down and clutched the rock. „Here we go! One... two... three!" And with all the strength he could muster, Dean lifted it up. Sams agonizing screams made his blood run cold and he cringed. His whole body wanted to stop this horrific sound, wanted to comfort his brother, tell him everything would be alright. But he couldn't help him yet. The rock was heavier than he had assumed and his back muscles tensed up. He clenched his teeth. He couldn't let go of it. Slowly and carefully, he heaved it even higher and took a step away from his still crying brother. Only at a safe distance did he bend down and dropped it. Not wasting any more time, he hurried back to Sams side. But when he reached him he'd already given in to the blackness, his face still contorted with pain despite his unconsciousness.

**TBC**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks again for all your sweet comments, I appreciate it a lot. :) Have fun with the next chapter, Sams POV this time.**

**Chapter 3**

First thing he noticed when he slowly came to was a quiet humming. Where was it coming from? It seemed to be all around him. It was hard to concentrate, to think at all. Hard not to drift back into the blackness he'd just escaped. The sound was comforting and made him feel secure. So he fought to stay conscious, to hang on to the bodiless voice that was so familiar.

The longer he listened, the clearer the voice got. Was that Metallica? Only Dean hummed Metallica... in the shower, when he was bored, when he came home late at night after a fruitful eve of gambling and flirting. Sometimes he just wanted to annoy him. He loved to do that. And sometimes he hummed when he was scared... Was he scared now?

More senses slowly started to return to him. He noticed that breathing was oddly difficult. The air was stifling and a coldness surrounded him and gave him shivers. He was lying on a hard ground, but his head was supported by something soft. He could smell worn-out leather – his brothers jacket – he would recognize it anywhere. He coughed slightly and was shocked when a sharp pain radiated from his left arm with the small movement. He groaned and tried to curl around his obviously messed up arm, but gentle hands stopped him from moving and held him down. The humming had stopped and was replaced by an annoyed sigh from Dean.

„Don't move genius! You'll just hurt yourself more. Besides, don't want you to ruin my awesome handiwork."

What? He was confused. Maybe he should open his eyes. But his eyelids were so heavy...

It took him a few seconds till they started to respond and a blurry image of his brothers worried face appeared in front of him.

„Yeah, that's it, open your eyes for me Sammy. Be glad you slept through the patch up, would have been a total bitch."

Sam just blinked at him, wondering what Dean was talking about. His eyes surveyed his surroundings, dimly lit by a nearby flashlight and upon seeing the rocks and broken wooden beams scattered around them, he remembered what had happened. The hunt, endless caves and tunnels, the earthquake, their pointless run for their lives, rocks tumbling down on him, his big brother being the saviour of the day, uncovering him, the unbearable pain... then everything turned black.

„How long...?" His voice didn't wanna obey him, sounding hoarse. But Dean already uncapped a bottle of water and helped to lift his head to drink.

„Long enough for me to fix you. And to scare the shit outta me."

The liquid was refreshing and his mind cleared a bit.

„Here, take these." Two tiny pills rested on Deans hand and Sam swallowed them thankfully.

„It'll probably take some time for them to kick in." Sam nodded and his eyes wandered down his body, wincing when he took in his ripped and dirty shirt, the nasty looking scratches and bruises covering his body and his broken forearm – bandaged and stabilized with some wooden sticks. He frowned. Dean must have seen his puzzled expression.

„Found those in between the piled up rocks down there. Pieces of some broken wooden beam. Almost buried myself when I pulled them out."

Sam turned his head and winced when it responded with dizziness to the sudden movement. His gaze wandered up the stone wall that piled up only a few meters ahead. He couldn't believe his eyes.

„We're screwed, right?" He looked back at his brother.

Dean gave him a cocky smile. „Screwed? What're you talking about? You're alive, I'm alive... Could have been worse, don't you think?" But his expression couldn't deceive him, his anxiety was written all over his face. His brother had always tried to take away Sams fear with lightening up the mood, downplaying even the most messed up situations. And it had worked perfectly when he was a kid. But unfortunately not anymore.

„You okay?" His worried eyes met Deans.

Dean rolled his eyes. „You're the one who kissed the earth. I've got a hard head, takes more than a few rocks to bring me down."

Sam sighed in relief. Definitely could have been worse. He hesitated for a second.

„Dean... how bad is it?"

His brothers smile vanished. „It's not that bad..."

Figures... Oh no, you won't get away with this! „Dean!" Sam showed him his best puppy-dog eyes. Dean cast him an annoyed glace.

„Your fracture really isn't too bad, thankfully just a simple one, no bone protruding."

Sam raised his eyebrows. Dean couldn't fool him, his worried eyes spoke volumes. There was more. „But...?"

Dean sighed, he'd lost that battle. „Well, you never do things just half-way. Got a nasty cut on your forearm too. Bled like hell, took me some time to stop it. It definitely needs stitches, but we don't have the supplies here. I cleaned it the best I could, but I'm worried about infection."

Sam nodded, but regretted his movement right away when a spike of pain shot through his head again. He raised his right hand, coming in touch with soft fabric. „What..."

„Another gash, but it stopped bleeding quite easily. No concussion."

Great, still felt like someone puts a knife in it every time he moved it.

Dean grimaced. „Pills not working yet?"

Sam refrained from nodding his head this time. „Not really.", he admitted.

His brother gave him a sympathetic look and went on. „Scratches and bruises are a bitch, but they'll fade, nothing serious." Dean carefully palpated his chest, looking for signs of broken ribs, heaving a sigh of relief when nothing gave way. „Do you have any trouble breathing?"

Sam considered this for a moment. „A bit, but nothing hurts. Maybe just the bad air?"

Dean nodded. „Probably, got some trouble too." Dean bit his lip, obviously conflicted.

„Sammy, I really hate so say this, but we should get out of here as soon as possible. Don't want us to get caught in an aftershock on top of this. And it's obvious that we need to get you to a hospital."

His brother was probably right. He wouldn't ask if it wasn't serious, not when Sam is in pain. He just had to suck it up till they were out of harm's way.

„Okay, we've got to find another way out. I doubt we can dig through there?" Sams gaze wandered back to the cave-in.

„Nope, me neither. You better concentrate on walking upright, I'm going to take the lead. Let's look at the map, there must be another way out. Where is it?"

„In my jacket. Help me up!" Dean helped him into a sitting position, being careful not to jostle his injured arm. Dizziness assaulted him, but it passed quickly. The pain killers seemed to have kicked in, leaving only a dull throbbing in his head. But his arm still sent spikes of pain through his body whenever he moved it. He gritted his teeth and held it tight to his body. His jacket was resting on their duffle just a few feet away. Dean must have taken it off to patch him up. His brother reached for it but kept an arm on his shoulder to steady him, apparently afraid he could take another dive down. The map was inside and he grabbed the flashlight from the ground to get a better look.

„See the cave we crossed before we got knocked down?"

Sam showed him a circle in the west section. There were three tunnels branching off in different directions. The first one which was collapsed now would have been a direct pathway to the exit. The other two led deeper into the caves.

„Look, this one has a red cross on it, probably means that it's already blocked. The other one leads in the opposite direction but seems to take a turn after a few hundred meters."

„Yeah, that was the one we were in when the earthquake started." And he didn't wanna think about what they'd do if it was blocked too. It was their best shot.

„So we got a plan. Wait a second, I'll make a sling to support your arm."

Dean rummaged around their duffel bag, conjured up a sling out of a bandage in no time and cautiously helped Sam to strap it on and hold his arm in position against his chest. Sam hissed but choked down a cry. He didn't want his brother to know that his arm was still blazing with pain. They had enough to worry about, he would survive.

„All done. Up you go Sammy!" Dean wrapped an arm around his waist while Sam put his unscathed arm around his shoulders and together they stood up. His brother helped him to the wall so he could lean against it while he gathered up their gear. He found Sams flashlight near the cave-in, still functioning and thrust it into his good hand. Dean shouldered their duffel bag, flashlight in one, map in the other hand.

„Think you can walk?"

„Do I have a choice?" Despite his painful arm he surprisingly felt quite steady on his feet. Fortunately his legs escaped any damage or they would have been in big trouble.

„Just stay close by and tell me when you need a break."

„I'll be fine, let's just go!"

Dean cast him another concerned glance before turning around and starting out. They had to be careful not to stumble over the numerous rocks on the ground. They crossed the limestone cave from before, now cluttered with broken stalagmites and stalactites and entered the tunnel on the right-hand side. They were lucky for once, besides some cracks in the walls and two splintered supporting logs they had to worm their way through, the tunnel looked relatively intact.

Sam concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other, walking behind his brother, relying on him to find their way out of here. It was hard enough to stay awake, his body showing him the obvious signs of exhaustion. He breathed heavily, but kept going. Every now or then he would trip over some rock he'd missed to make out in the dim light and Dean would be at his side in just a second. When a junction appeared to their left out of the darkness they stopped and studied the map again.

„Must be the right one. Let's sit down for a moment before you pass out."

„I'm fine!", Sam objected, but his pale face and beads of sweat said otherwise. Dean lowered him to the ground, back leaning against the wall and gave him a bottle of water. He swallowed the cold liquid thankfully, but it only helped shortly to ease the heat that had attacked his head. He closed his eyes while Dean rested his hand on his forehead, cursing under his breath.

„You're burning up little brother."

„I'm fine!", Sam insisted.

„Yeah, you look far from fine. How does your arm feel like?"

Sam gave him a dirty look. „Like it's broken."

„Funny Sam!" Dean inspected the bandage while Sam let his eyes roam the darkness behind his brother back. That's when he spotted a dark shape on the ceiling in the depth of the tunnel. He blinked and wondered if he could already hallucinate. His fever wasn't that bad yet, was it? But when red eyes suddenly lit up, he knew that this couldn't be his imagination. His heart made a jump.

„Dean! Look out!", he shouted just when the shape shot out, revealing itself in their cone of light.

**TBC**

**Good? Bad? What do you think?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you so much for your reviews, they're like chocolate to me - love it, love it, love it. ;) Enjoy the next chapter - action!**

**Chapter 4**

He was just checking out Sams damaged arm, relieved to see the bandage unblemished and the splints in place when he noticed Sams eyes suddenly opening wide, his shout breaking the silence and echoing around the cave. Dean barely had time to whirl around before a hairy black mass loomed above him. It crashed into him with such force that he forgot to breath for a second. He lost his footing and sailed through the air. His back connected with cold hard rock when he hit the cave wall, his head following right away when he fell to the ground, making his head spin and blurring his vision.

Sams frightened outcry filtered through the whirring in his ears and his own fear for his brother overshadowed the pain in his body. He felt for his gun, panic slowly arising when there was nothing but his jeans. He frantically searched the ground around him, still half-blind and wavering from his movements. His left hand touched cold metal and without a second thought he grasped it and turned around to aim it at the creature that threatened his brother. He waited till his eyes focused. He wouldn't risk to miss his target and eventually hit his brother instead.

The sight in front of him made his skin crawl. The creature looked like a giant spider, black and hairy and outright disgusting. Its sharp fangs snapped after Sam who'd made himself really small, if that was even possible with the gigantor he was. Dean was furious. 'Oh no, you won't!' He cocked his gun and fired, hitting the creature three times. But the expected bounce of its large body never came, it appeared to be totally unharmed. It turned its head, piercing red eyes fixing on him. At least he got its attention now. The creature slowly started to crawl in his direction. 'Oh shit!'

Dean took a step back, aimed his gun right between its eyes and shot again. But his bullet was deflected when he suddenly lost his balance and bounced unceremoniously on his butt. Something had coiled itself around his ankle, white and rope-like, coming right from the giant spider in front of him.

„C'mon, you gotta be kidding me!" He attempted to raise his gun a third time but the creature was faster than him, knocking it out of his hand with one of its long hairy forelegs. He desperately looked for anything else to use as a weapon, spotting a sharp rock just a few feet away from him. He reached for it but before his fingers could make any contact, another rope of cobwebs shot out, catching his wrist. He felt himself being pulled over the ground, his shirt being ripped open and skin grazing painfully. Dean thought that he heard his brother calling his name and looked around, but the spiders pitch-black body suddenly blocked his view, greasy hair brushing his face. He writhed with disgust and blindly kicked out, but his efforts were quashed when more cobwebs shot out, immobilizing his legs and pinning his arms to his side. He closed his eyes, despair overwhelming him.

A gunshot reverberated around the cave, followed by a piercing screech that went right through him. The spider must have been hit. 'Great work Sammy!' He felt the ground beneath him tremble. He dared to look up, saw the creature stumbling around erratically and all of the sudden he'd been kicked, rolling ruggedly on his tummy. His face got pressed into the dirty ground, dust entering his nose and mouth and he coughed convulsively. When he finally managed to turn his head to the side, his heart almost stopped.

The spider seemed to have recollected itself, heading straight for Sam who wasn't fast enough to pull the trigger a second time. It knocked him down at full tilt, gun clattering to the ground, his brothers pain-filled scream making all his Sammy-protecting-bells ring. Dean started to struggle desperately, trying to get rid of the cobwebs, but they didn't budge at all, effectively preventing any movement while he had to watch helplessly as the monster advanced.

„No! Sammy! Don't you dare touch him fugly! I'll kill you, you hear me? Hey!"

The giant spider just ignored him, already focusing all its attention on the next victim. Its head shot out with a terrific speed. Sam tried to roll to his side, arm protectively huddled against his torso. But he was too slow and Deans own frantic outcry mixed with Sams agonizing scream when one of the sharp fangs pierced his thigh. It soon died away, slight tremors shaking his body, his fists clenching and unclenching. When the creature yanked its fang out, Sam couldn't do much more than whimper, his movements stopping altogether.

„Sammy!" He saw his brothers eyes watching him, wide open, fear reflecting in them. „Talk to me bro!"

But Sam stayed quiet. The rapid lifting and lowering of his chest and the blinking of his eyes were the only signs of him being alive. An idea flashed through his mind: venom. The fucking fugly spider probably injected him with venom. He dearly hoped that it was just to paralyze its victims, not fatal. It would want to eat its prey fresh and alive, wouldn't it?

„Sam, it'll be alright. Don't worry, I'll work something out. You hear me?" Sam tried to keep his eyes open, but his lids were drooping slowly, freaking Dean out. „Sammy! No, stay awake!"

The creature seemed to be pleased with the effect, sure that Sam wouldn't be a threat anymore, turned around and approached him again. It stopped Deans wriggling with another shot of cobwebs, tying him up like a parcel, giving him a hard time to breath at all. It then started to drag him across the ground.

„Son of a bitch, let go of me! Sam!" But the creature ignored him and his ongoing curses and dragged him along. The beam of their flashlights, lying abandoned on the floor, slowly faded. They turned around a corner into another tunnel that led even deeper into the labyrinth of caves and he lost sight of his still unmoving brother. Darkness surrounded Dean and he suddenly felt totally helpless. How should he help Sam when he couldn't move a muscle himself and now lost his vision on top of it? He felt each bump of the uneven ground, probably collecting bruises the entire time. The monster didn't handle him with care at all. When they rounded another corner, he slid across the floor with velocity till he knocked his head on the stony wall and lost consciousness.

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Sam felt weightless, like he was floating through an endless space, surrounded by nothing but blackness. It was strange, he felt disconnected somehow, like his body wasn't a part of him anymore. Maybe because he didn't feel a damn thing of it at the moment. He wasn't sure why, his head was fuzzy, everything was spinning, he couldn't think straight. But he knew that whatever he was missing, he wouldn't like it. So he didn't care about it for now, he was too exhausted to care at all.

He drifted off to a semi-conscious state, until an unpleasant feeling filtered through to him. He attempted to escape it without even knowing how, it was more like a reflex. But the feeling just intensified, changing from a tickle to a slight sting to hot-white burning which couldn't be ignored any longer. He also noticed where it was coming from now – his thigh. Or at least where he thought his thigh should be. Why couldn't he feel his body again?

The unescapable pain triggered something in his mind and memories started to return to him. Horrible pictures of his big brother being attacked by a large black spider. Weren't spiders usually small? Must have been a crazy dream then, right? Nothing made sense to him. He shook his head, trying to clear it. Wait, his head... he could feel it. And his eyes were closed. That's why it was so dark. Maybe he should open them? It might jog his memory a bit.

They didn't respond at first and he wondered if they were pasted up. But after a few attempts he finally succeeded to open them to small slits. Light assaulted him and he was shortly blinded. But after his eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness, he could make out his flashlight lying just a few feet away from him. His eyes shifted around, taking in the dimly-lit cave, their duffle bag lying just a few feet away, half opened. A silver gun glinted from his right and he turned his head with an enormous effort to get a better look. Yeah, it was the one he had loaded with silver bullets.

Panic started to arise when reality hit him. It wasn't a dream at all, Dean had been fighting with the monstrous spider and he hadn't been on the winning side. He remembered how he'd scrambled up from the floor and rummaged around their duffel bag for the silver bullets. It had been hard to load his gun with them while keeping his broken arm as still as possible no minimize the pain that moving it induced. By the time he'd been ready, Dean had been totally immobilized. He'd shot the creature, satisfied with the damage it did. But he hadn't been fast enough to deflect its unexpected next attack.

Sam dropped his gaze to his legs, seeing a small tear in his jeans where his right thigh was, blood covering the ragged edges. He was already feeling like shit, like he needed any wound on top of it.

The fang must have been poisonous, he'd instantly lost any control over his body. Any feeling too which wasn't a bad thing at all when he thought about it. But his big brother was gone, most probably being in big trouble, tied up somewhere and apparently without a weapon. He needed to get back to his feet before it was too late. Who knew if the monster was hungry right now? 'Dont think about it!'

First things first, moving his legs. He ignored the throbbing pain in his thigh and bent his knees. His legs felt like they were made of lead, but his muscles started to respond to him again and within a minute he was kneeling at least. Not strong enough to stand up yet, he decided to crawl to their duffle to find some more painkillers before he started out on his rescue mission. The pain in his arm and leg was still a bit dull, probably an aftereffect of the venom. But it wouldn't take long to return for sure, just like his mobility. And he wouldn't be of much help if he passed out before he even found his big brother.

Sam didn't wait for the venoms effect to wear off completely and the pills to work, he didn't have the time. Dean needed him. So he tucked away his gun in his waistband and picked up his flashlight. He slowly stood up, fighting against the vertigo that assaulted him, heaved up their duffle – they still had to find out what would kill the spider – and started to stumble wobbly and uncoordinated in the direction where the monster obviously had dragged off his brother, following traces of cobwebs that littered the ground.

**TBC**

**I can't say it enough: I love chocolate. ;)**


	5. Chapter 5

I know it's been quite a while since my last update, but I'm finally back. I'm glad you're still sticking with this story. And of course again a big thank you for your reviews (even the late ones ^^), I appreciate it a lot that you take the time. So have fun reading and please keep letting me know what you think.

**Chapter 5**

It was hard to stay upright, to set one foot in front of another when your body didn't wanna respond to your commands. Sams feet felt like lead, his muscles sometimes loosing all strengh, making him stumble and hiss in pain from the jostling of his broken arm. His wound from the spiders fang had thankfully stopped bleeding a while ago, even the burning had vanished, which had been a huge relief at first. But eventually his thigh had started to turn numb, giving him a hard time to control his right leg at all. Heat radiated from his body and sweat dripped into his eyes, making his vision blurry. He knew he had a fever and if he should have a guess, he'd say his slash on his injured arm got infected. And the venom coursing through his body probably did its bit as well.

Sam sighed. He was exhausted and tired and his body just wanted to shut down, but he couldn't stop right now. He wouldn't even take a break to catch his breath. Cause his brother needed him and he couldn't affort to loose much more time than he already did when he'd been knocked out. Who knows how long he'd been unconsciousness?

He passed a few branches on his way, but the dragging marks on the dusty ground and the cobwebs were always conspicuous enough, even for his blurry vision, and told him which tunnel to take. Behind each corner he expected to bang into the creature, but was surprised and relieved at the same time when the path stayed clear. He wondered where the spider had gone... Didn't it wanna come back to retrieve him? He should have been glad about its absence, but he just couldn't prevent himself from thinking that it might be occupied with his brother in the meantime. He shuddered. 'Don't go there Sam! Dean is too good to let himself be taken down by a mere jumbo-spider.'

A slight rumble caught his attention and he stopped abruptly. He swayed a little and tried to keep his balance, but it was hard when the ground shifted beneath you and you were already weak-kneed. The ground... was he hallucinating? Fever usually does that to you. But when a crack appeared in the wall next to him with an earsplitting bang and pebbles started to rain down on him, he knew that his mind didn't play any tricks on him. It was an aftershock.

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Dean woke up with a headache that reminded him of a really bad hangover. He wanted to lift a hand up to massage his temples, but only managed to wriggle his fingers a bit. Something prevented him from moving his arm. Well, not just his arm... his whole body. He was tied up.

„What the hell...?", he mumbled. He tried to move again, this time with more vigor and somehow succeeded, just not in the way he had hoped. His body was still completely immobile, but he felt himself swinging from side to side. His eyes shot open, but there wasn't anything to see. Complete blackness surrounded him. Was he blind?

Dean usually wasn't one to freak out easily, but waking up in the dark, bound and apparently without any firm ground under his feet would totally do that to anyone. Right? His breath sped up and he could feel his pulse rapidly throbbing against his throat. He struggled fiercely against his bonds, but was unable to loosen them just a bit at all. He could feel his head starting to spin and he knew he must be hyperventilating.

Okay Dean, that's not helping at all. Get a grip on yourself! He forced himself to slow his erratic breathing. In and out, in and out... Just like he'd always done with Sammy when he had a panic attack. Wait, where was his brother anyway?

„Sam?" No response, just his voice reverberating around him. „Sammy?" Still only his echo. Sounded like some cave... that rang a bell. Of course, how could he forget?

The bloody monster spider had gotten the better of him and had dragged him off. He must have blacked out on the way. Hardly surprising, it hadn't been handling him with care at all. But that didn't matter now. He remembered his brother lying completely still on the ground, most likely with some freaking poison pumping through his veins. He'd already been hurt before, why did all the creatures always have to go after him? Did you really have to kick a kicked puppy even more?

He'd so kill that ugly hairy thing when he got his hands on it the next time. Speaking of, where the hell was it? Crap, hopefully not on its way back to retrieve its other victim. Wasn't one snack enough for it? Not that he was particularly keen to end up as the spiders feast... Or was it still in the same room with him? Silently lurking in the dark somewhere? Okay, that would be really creepy.

He needed a plan. First of all, getting free. Easier said than done. He still had a knife in his boot, but restraint like this he didn't have a chance to get a hold of it. Where was he anyway? Dangling in the air with a spider as his captor – that could only mean one thing: an oversized spiderweb. He groaned. Had he already mentioned that he hated spiders?

Okay... as long as he didn't come up with another idea how to get free, he could think about step two: how to waste the monster. His bullets didn't work when he shot it before, but wasn't it harmed by Sams shot? He didn't hit it at any certain spot, so it must have been the bullets. Maybe silver? Sam had enough time to reload his gun while he was down. And silver worked on most unknown creatures they encountered, so why not this time? So a precise shot with silver should do it. And if that didn't work, he could still torch this thing. Definitely more painful and would serve it just right after hurting his little brother.

His thoughts were interrupted when all of a sudden the eery silence was broken by a deep rumble and even before the nauseating swinging started again, he knew that this could only be an aftershock. He'd never forget that sound again.

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The ground was vibrating. It wasn't as bad as it had been before, but Sam was already wobbly on his legs, so that he couldn't stay upright anymore and was thrown off balance. The duffle fell from his shoulder and he dropped his flashlight in an attempt to break his fall with his good hand when he went down painfully on his knees. His injured leg suddenly flared up with the impact and everything turned bright for a moment.

Next thing he noticed was lying prone on the cold stone, broken arm tightly pressed to his chest, breathing rapidly. His mind registered only distantly that everything was still shaking, but he was distracted by an acrid bile suddenly rising up his throat and he managed to turn to his side just in time to heave up violently. It felt like a life time till his stomach settled down, probably cause there wasn't much to throw up anymore. He rolled on his back, exhausted, still struggling to catch his breath.

He allowed himself to close his eyes just for a moment. It had gone quiet around him and he sighed with relief when he noticed that the ground he was lying on was thankfully steady. He rolled to his side and reached for his flashlight. He sat up and waited for a moment till the dizziness faded, then stood up slowly, steadying himself on the wall. He still had a bitter taste in his mouth and beads of sweat were dripping off his forehead.

'Get a grip Sam! Dean needs you.'

The image of Dean lying on the ground, bound and looking at him anxiously, had him gritting his teeth and pushed him forward. He stumbled around the next corner and raised his flashlight. But what he saw made his blood run cold. He stopped abruptly and took a step back, preparing for the worst.

But nothing happened.

He approached carefully, holding his breath. There, in front of him, lay a big hairy and bloody mass, crushed by a boulder almost its size. He was transfixed to the spot and it took a minute till he could tear his eyes away from this nasty scene and look around. More rocks were scattered on the ground, the ceiling half-collapsed. But fortunately the tunnel wasn't blocked, there was still a small passage for him to go on.

Sam looked back at the spider and jumped when one of its leg unexpectedly twitched. Pain shot through his broken arm with the movement and he winced. He dropped his flashlight and had his gun out in an instant, ready to shoot. But it didn't budge anymore. Did he just imagine it? He wasn't sure, but he definitely wouldn't take any chances. He aimed at its head that stuck out from under the boulder and fired, once, twice. That should do it.

He couldn't believe it. For once in their life, they had been lucky.

**TBC**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Sam waited another minute, not daring to lower his gun till he could be sure that the spider remained dead. He took a step forward, holding his breath and carefully nudged it. No movement followed, everything stayed quiet. He exhaled, a smile crossing his lips. One problem less to worry about. Time to find Dean.

He turned around and picked up the flashlight. But when he raised, his head started to spin and his vision blurred. He stumbled sideways and barely managed to support himself on the nearby wall. He took a deep breath. His legs felt wobbly and he wasn't sure if he'd be able to stand up again if he fell. 'Hold on now! It can't be far anymore.' Or at least he hoped so.

He moved forward slowly but with determination, encouraged by the fact that no spider could stop him from finding Dean anymore. It took all his willpower to stay on his feet, to grit his teeth against the constant pain radiating from his arm, to fight off the exhaustion of his whole body, to keep a clear head when his mind screamed for a short break, to shut down just a moment to escape this nightmare. His brothers name became a mantra in his head that helped him to stay focused on his aim and urged him on.

It came as a surprise for him when his right hand suddenly lost its grip on the wall and only grasped air. It was a second too late when he noticed that he'd left the tunnel behind and stepped right into a huge cavern. Once out of balance and with his reflexes slowed down, he couldn't catch himself in time and went down hard, knees scraping the rough rocks and flashlight rolling over the ground. A moan escaped his lips and dark spots danced in front of his eyes. He was sure to pass out any moment when a sound reached his ears, a voice he'd recognize anywhere, a word that could only come from his brother.

„Sammy!"

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It's been a while since the shaking and swinging stopped, but Dean still felt a bit dizzy. He'd intended to stay alert in case the creature came back. Not that he'd be able to kick its ass while being strung up. But it would at least calm his mind to know that it wasn't anywhere near Sam. In the end it turned out to be much harder than he thought, cause hanging around in the dark and being reduced to your other senses than sight makes you increasingly aware of your own aches.

The painful throbbing at the back of his head let him guess that the dizziness might not only be from his endless twirling after all. His whole body felt stiff and sore and his eyelids drooped as he slowly grew tired.

It had been the third time he'd startled up from drifting off for a moment when a sound got his attention. It had been totally quiet since he'd woken up and his ears had grown utterly sensitive. It was some kind of shuffling and rustling and it was getting louder. He held his breath and didn't dare to exhale while he listened closely. It was definitely something on the move and obviously in his direction. A pinpoint of light suddenly appeared out of nowhere, bouncing up and down. His heart made a jump. He doubted that spiders would be in need of flashlights. But before he could open his mouth, a clattering sound reverberated around the cave, followed my a moan. Even if it was laced with pain, it was still the most beautiful sound he'd heard in a while.

„Sammy!"

He didn't get a reply. Dean squinted his eyes and made out a crumpled form on the ground, illuminated by the nearby flashlight which the kid must have dropped when he went down. But Sam didn't move. The joy at seeing his brother alive was now replaced by the rising anxiety for him. The last time he'd seen Sam, he'd been badly hurt. It surprised him that he'd even managed to find him all on his own in his condition.

„Sam!" Nothing. „Sammy, come on, talk to me!"

Dean sighed with relief when his brother raised his head, eyes blinking in his direction.

„You alright?" What a stupid question, of course he wasn't. Sam opened his mouth, but a coughing fit stopped him from answering. Dean flinched, hating to see his little brother down and not being able to help him. But when Sam, still out of breath, lifted a hand and gave him the thumps up, he couldn't suppress a smile.

„Then what is your lazy ass still doing on the floor? I could use a little help here, you know."

Sam gave him his best bitch-face before he slowly sat up. He reached for his nearby flashlight and looked around. His eyes opened wide and he gasped. Not having paid attention to his surroundings before, Dean followed his lead and couldn't believe his eyes either.

The cave was large, barely illuminated by their beam of light. It was covered by thick white cobwebs, stretching from one wall to the other, every which way and Dean was hanging just in the middle of it, only inches above the ground. But to his horror he apparently wasn't the only one. A few cocoon-like shapes were scattered around the cave, most of them cruelly shredded and encrusted with blood, several bones littering the ground beneath. A cold shiver ran down his back. This was a fricking graveyard!

Suddenly Dean was glad that he'd been left in the darkness before. Not knowing was so much better. Crap, that's what he could look like in a few hours! His heart was pounding like mad now and he took some deep breaths to stop himself from panicking. Sam was here, he'd be back on solid ground in no time, right?

„Dean, it's okay, our monster-spider is dead." Dean turned back to look at Sam, who seemed to have sensed his distress right away.

„You killed it?"

Sam smiled up at him. „The aftershock did most of the job. Squashed. I just made sure it would stay dead, headshot with silver bullets."

Dean looked at him dumbfounded. „You're joking, right?" But Sam just kept smiling. „Not joking... Man, are we lucky for once... I know I shouldn't complain, but I would have loved to kick its ass myself."

„You don't look much like a threat right now.", Sam pointed out, eyeing the cocoon he was trapped in thoughtfully.

„Oh, shut up!" And Dean muttered something that sounded a lot like 'obnoxious little brothers'.

Sam was still sitting on the floor about ten feet from him and had barely moved since his little nose dive. Hell, he didn't even look like he could move much at all anymore: pale and sweaty with flushed cheeks and pained eyes, blood-crusted thigh, broken arm pressed tightly to his chest, flashlight slightly shaking in his hand.

„Sam, you look like hell!"

Another bitch-face. „Have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately?"

„Come on, I'm always awesomely handsome."

Sam had to laugh, but it soon turned into another coughing fit, making him cringe and curl around himself. Dean watched him with worried eyes.

„Easy Sammy, deep breaths, in and out."

It took another minute till Sam recovered himself. Gritting his teeth, he tried to get up, without much success. In the end he decided to stay on the ground and crawled forward, slowly but determined to reach Dean. He tried his best to avoid touching any spider webs, but still got caught two or three times, shaking them off disgustedly. He was already out of breath again when he stopped in front of him.

„You got your knife, Sam?"

Sam looked up at him with glassy and confused eyes.

„Forget it, mine is in my right boot." And Dean wriggled his right foot as much as he could.

His little brother stared at it for a moment before he reached out. One-armed and with his fingers shaking badly, he had a hard time but finally got it out and snapped it open.

„You're doing good, Sammy. Alright, start with my right arm, I'll be able to free myself then."

Sam nodded and held onto Dean to pull himself up. He swayed dangerously on his feet and Dean was afraid he'd pass out any second, but thankfully he just managed to catch himself and gave him a slight smile before starting to cut through the spider webs. It was a really slow process, the webs were thick and Sam had barely enough strength to hold himself up, not to mention handling a knife. But his wrinkled eyebrows and focused eyes showed him just how concentrated he still was, he didn't even nick his skin and after a few minutes, his right arm was free and Dean could take over. Sam sighed with relief and sat down, watching his big brother.

Ten minutes later, Dean was shaking off the last remnants of the sticky webs, joints cracking and muscles cramping after such a long time of immobilization. But it was all ignored when Sam eventually lost his battle against exhaustion, eyes closing and started to fall over. And Dean caught him just in time before his head could hit the floor.

**TBC**

**Comments? Questions? :) I actually planned on writing more in this chapter, but I'm totally busy with learning for exams right now and I just didn't wanna wait any longer to update. Hope you can forgive me...**


	7. Chapter 7

**Exams done! Thank you so much for being so patient. And as a reward you'll get a long chapter from me (at least long for me). :) Have fun reading!**

**Chapter 7**

Dean should have expected it. Sam had already looked half-passed out when he'd reached him. It had been a miracle that the kid still found the strength to saw through the cobwebs which had been immobilizing him and free his arm for him to proceed. But he'd been so focused on cutting through the webs which had been sticking to him like glue, that it still took him by surprise when Sams eyes suddenly closed, body going limp. He barely had time to react, arms shooting out, half-stumbling over the last remnants of the spider's prison. He slid to his knees and just caught his brothers head before he got himself another souvenir of this goddamned hunt.

„Sammy!" He slightly shook Sams shoulder, but to no avail. „Come on buddy, not the time for a nap now. Open your eyes!" But his little brother had always been too stubborn for his own good.

Dean sighed and sat down, streching out his legs that responded with a painful twitch after not being used for such a long time and put Sams head on his lab. His face had a ghostly colour and his long bangs were damp, sticking to his forehead which felt way too hot. His brothers body was trembling slightly despite his unconsciousness and Dean strained himself to take off his jacket, wincing at the soreness of his muscles, and covered Sam with it.

His eyes shifted to his brothers broken arm and he winced when he saw the once white bandage smeared with blood. The cut on it must have reopened. Dean looked around for their duffel bag, intending to change the dressing, but noted with a sinking feeling that it wasn't close by. Of course Sam couldn't have carried it with him in his condition. Damn!

His attention was drawn back to his brother when he felt him stirring on his lab, head rolling from one side to another, eyes moving beneath his lids.

„That's it Sammy! Show me your puppy-dog eyes."

Sams eyelids twitched before they slowly cracked open to slits, revealing confused green eyes shifting nervously, apparently searching until they stopped at his face. Sam squinted, wrinkling his brow and the quiet rasping whisper that followed gave his heart a jump: „'m no puppy-dog..." Dean couldn't suppress a smile, glad his brother was back with him and obviously alert enough to be bitchy already.

„Damn right! With your gigantic frame and shaggy hair you'd be more like a full-grown irish wolfhound."

Sam frowned at him, then a smile crept up his face. But when he shifted slightly, apparently trying to sit up and in doing so accidentally jostled his broken arm, it turned into a grimace and he pinched his eyes together.

„Easy Sam, don't move yet."

„Should have told me that before." Sam panted, trying to breathe through the pain.

„Why? Because you always listen to your big brother?", Dean smirked.

Sam just rolled his eyes, but followed his brothers words and stayed down. His eyes wandered around the cave, visibly shuddering at the sight of the dead bodies before finally coming to rest on Dean, watching him closely in the dim light. He still had some cobwebs sticking to his hair, his face was dirt-streaked and a small cut above his right eye stood out. Numerous bruises and shallow cuts littered his bare arms and exhaustion was written all over him.

„You're alright, Dean?"

„Me?" Dean shook his head in disbelief. „Think I don't have to remind you that you're the one who'd just passed out, little brother. And not for the first time tonight. This is becoming a habit with you."

„No Dean, I mean it." Worried eyes looked up at him and Dean bit his lip.

„Don't worry Sammy. I'm just a little banged up, but no real damage done. I promise."

Sam didn't look convinced at all, but still nodded and let it go.

„Okay, so what do you say to getting the hell out of here?"

„No objection here. Just help me up." And he was already half sitting up before Dean could stop him.

„Oh no, not so fast tiger!" He gently but emphatically pushed Sam back, grabbed his leather jacket which had fallen to the ground and slid it under his head. „First I'm gonna have a closer look at you."

And before Sam could even open his mouth, Dean had already started to carefully pull apart the tear in his jeans, revealing a nasty looking puncture in his brothers thigh, examining it closely.

„It doesn't seem to be deep and the bleeding must have stopped a while ago. Is it still hurting?"

Sam shook his head. „No, it's more like numb now."

Dean looked up at him with concern. „What was it that the spider pumped into you? Some kind of muscle relaxant? You went all limp after it got you. Totally freaked me out, dude!"

„Sorry!" Sam gave him a half-hearted smile. „I... I think so, was really out of it. Can't remember much afterwards. But the effects are gone now, it's just my leg now. Maybe some kind of aftereffect?"

„I have no clue, but I don't like it at all." And he wasn't gonna take any chances. When they got out of here, they'd be going straight to the hospital. He still had to think of a good cover story, but who knows what kind of poison this was? Not to mention Sams broken arm and the obvious infection he had.

„Dean?" Sams voice interrupted his thoughts and he looked up. His brothers eyes were wide open, gazing at something behind his back and Dean whirled around. But besides the cocoons and corpses, he couldn't see what had upset Sam.

„Sam, what...?"

„The flashlight, Dean. Have a look at the corner in the back."

Dean did as he said, picking up the flashlight and taking a few steps forward, throwing light upon a dark shape in the back of the cave. He took a moment to process what he was seeing, but then his confused look changed into one of disbelief.

„Oh come on, you've gotta be kidding! Is this what I think it is?", Dean asked, turning around to face Sam, who had sat up to get a better look.

„I'm afraid it is." His brother seemed to be as startled as he was.

There was a big heap of spherical things, each about as big as his fist, piled up a few feet high and it somehow looked a lot like eggs. Spider eggs as a matter of fact.

„Shit Dean! Looks like our spider isn't the only one around here. Must have a mate."

Dean groaned. His senses were sharpened again and his eyes scoured the cave suspiciously for any sign of movement.

„Your gun, Sam! Were is it?"

Sam stared up at him with a puzzled look. He moved his good arm to the waistband of his jeans, but his hand came away empty.

„I don't know." He knitted his brow in confusion. „Must have dropped it somewhere. Can't remember, everything is a bit fuzzy. Damn!"

„It's alright Sammy, not your fault." And it was true. He was glad that Sam had even managed to find him at all. But Dean still cursed silently. They didn't carry any weapons now – the small hunting knife didn't count, it wasn't even silver - and he felt utterly exposed.

Sams voice broke the silence. „Could be back at the spiders dead body. Our duffel bag too."

Dean looked surprised. „You took the bag with you?"

„Yeah, wasn't sure what we'd need to kill the monster." And he added with a smile: „And to rescue your sorry ass of course."

Dean gave him a dirty look. But deep down he was quite proud of his little brother who'd still kept a cool head even though being hurt badly.

„Alright, let's go then!" And he made a step towards Sam, ready to help him up.

„Wait! Why don't you go back and get our stuff. We have to burn those eggs before we go."

„Oh no, I won't let you out of my sight Sammy. You're far from ready to fight when the second fugly makes an appearance. I wanna get you out of here first. We can come back later or get Bobby or some of his friends to clear out this thing."

Sam opened his mouth, but Dean just cut him short. „No ifs and buts! Now let's get you up."

Dean reached for the flashlight and his leather jacket. „You still cold?" Sam shook his head, but he couldn't deceive him. His hands felt like ice and shivers wracked his body now and then. Dean ignored his brothers protests when he helped him getting his good arm through the first sleeve and tucked the jacket around his big frame. He then pulled Sam up, keeping him steady with one arm wrapped around his waist and Sams good arm slung over his shoulder. His brother swayed for a moment, blinking a few times before regaining his footing.

„You ready?"

„As ready as I can get." And together they set out slowly, leaving the spiders cavern behind.

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When they'd started out, Sam had surprisingly felt much better. The little rest he'd got while Dean had checked him out gave him back a bit of his strength. But unfortunately it didn't last long. As soon as they'd left the cave behind, he was already out of breath. He had a hard time controlling his right leg and was leaning more and more on his big brother. He felt Dean glancing at him every now and again, worry reflecting in his eyes, torn between watching him and keeping an eye out for any movement.

He was so focused on putting one foot in front of another, that he startled when Dean carefully nudged him. His brother was lowering him to the ground, back resting on the wall and with a „Be right back.", Deans supporting hand left his shoulder. His vision was still a bit blurry and his head didn't wanna stop spinning. Sam blinked a few times and it took him a moment to get back his bearings. First thing he saw was a huge looming shape in front of him and he cringed, panting out his brothers name.

Deans face came into his sight of line in an instant. „Easy Sam. It's just the squished spidey. It's dead, remember?"

Dead? Oh yeah, the aftershock. A hand came up to his forehead, comfortably cool against his fiery skin and he gave in to the touch, relaxing a bit.

„Your fever is going up, kiddo." Dean couldn't conceal the concern in his voice. „Here, take this!"

His brother was holding up two small pills. „One for the fever and one for the pain." Sam nodded and swallowed it gratefully, Dean helping him with the bottle of water.

„Dean, shouldn't we keep going?"

„In a bit, just wanna do a little patching up on your leg before infection sets in. And if there's still poison, we should stop it from spreading any further."

Sam got a glimpse of their duffle bag, lying opened up right next to Dean. His brother had already taken out the first aid box, holy water and antiseptic in his right hand, silver gun in his left.

„Listen Sammy! You gotta keep watch while I'm working here, alright? I know you're tired and played out, but we can't let another spider get the drop on us. Can you do that for me?"

Sams eyelids felt heavy and his head pounded like hell, but if his brothers attention was on him, he would need to watch his back. No matter what. He took the gun from Dean.

„Good boy."

Dean started to tilt the bottle when Sam suddenly stopped him. „Wait! Try holy water first."

„You're right! College boy speaking there." If the poison was anything supernatural, holy water should have an impact. Sam looked away and tried to concentrate on his task of keeping watch.

He was scanning the room closely, but couldn't stop a small whimper from escaping his lips when the wound did react to the holy water and sizzled viciously. But his eyes stayed focused on the darkness of the tunnel ahead. At least until Deans freaked out voice reached his ears.

„What the hell?"

Sam dared to spare a look and instantly regretted it. Some kind of dark green liquid welled up from the depths of the wound, fizzing and slowly vaporizing. The burning pain registered at the same time as his stomach did a salto and he was soon retching violently onto the floor, Deans hand rubbing soothing circles on his back. There wasn't much left in his stomach anymore, but dry heaves kept coming, giving him barely time to take breaths in between.

It felt like a lifetime till his abdominal muscles finally started to relax a bit. He took a deep breath and just started to sit up when he heard a strange rattling sound in the distance. Before he could even comprehend what he was hearing, he'd been pushed hard back to the ground – thankfully missing the mess he just made about an inch – and cried out when his broken arm got buried beneath him and his brother who was lying just on top of him. He faded out for just a second, the pain consuming him entirely, before two earsplitting shots brought him back to reality.

**TBC**

**Hope you enjoyed it? Comments are always welcomed. :) I'll try to update sooner this time. Have a nice week!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

He knew that taking a break wasn't exactly the brightest idea. But what was he supposed to do? Sam was panting heavily, heat radiating from him that got Dean pretty worried. And even though he was trying to walk on his own at first, he was getting heavier with each step that they took. 'It won't take long.', Dean told himself. 'Some pills and a short look at his leg wound won't do any harm.'

He had been expecting a little sizzling and bubbling when the holy water touched raw flesh – after all this giant of a spider was anything but natural, that was for sure. But he wasn't prepared for this! He looked horrified for a moment, watching the slimy liquid streaming down Sams leg and slowly onto the floor, partially vaporizing, the fume dark and reeking nauseatingly.

Before he could decide what to do, Sam let out a moan and his attention snapped back to his little brother, pained expression evident on his face. He seemed to have lost the last bit of colour he'd had before. Dean knew exactly what was coming and reached out just in time to stop Sam from throwing up all over himself. He steadied his brothers shivering form, hair carefully held back while Sam heaved, small whimpers escaping him in between which broke Deans heart.

He almost failed to hear the rattling sound behind them, still too occupied with supporting Sam and muttering soothing words. But when his mind caught up with his surroundings, he had only seconds to react. Dean pushed Sam down, covering his body with his own and felt hair brushing his back, razor sharp pincers missing him just by inches. Without loosing any more seconds, he made a dive for the gun lying next to them now, when the dark shape lunged forward a second time.

He shot at it twice. It recoiled with an earsplitting screech, but without any time to take aim properly, he'd only pissed it off.

'Shit, only one silver round left now.' He hadn't had time to reload it yet and the spider definitely wouldn't give him a break to get more rounds from their duffle.

Dean felt Sam trembling beside him and he tried to tune out his pained groans which was easier said than done. He struggled against casting a glance at his little brother and stayed focused on the spider in front of him, eyes following its every move when it started to circle them. He couldn't miss another time. Their life depended on it.

Everything seemed to slow down when the spider started to crouch down, prepared to attack again. It darted at them with such velocity that Dean only managed to push the trigger when the spider was already above them. The bullet found its target, burying itself into the spiders head. It crumpled instantly, knocking Dean down, back on top of Sam who was still lying on the floor behind him. His air was pressed forcefully out of his lungs and he only saw stars for a moment.

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Sams scared voice brought him back to his surroundings.

„Dean? You alright? Dean!"

Why did it sound so constricted and breathless? His question was answered when the soft ground he was lying on suddenly moved. His little brother was half-buried beneath him.

„Sammy?" Dean wanted to push himself up, but didn't come far. His lower body was pinned down by the enormous weight of the spider. Shit, was it dead? He couldn't quite turn around to get a look at it, but from its lack of movement, he assumed he'd got it.

„Dean!" Oh, yeah.

„Sam, I'm stuck. Can't move my legs. This thing is weighting a ton, no wonder so many people got lost, they must have stuffed themselves for weeks."

Sam just grunted.

„Alright, alright... I think it didn't land much on you."

„Yeah, but you're not really on a diet either.", Sam panted. Dean rolled his eyes.

„Okay, let's see... I'll take as much weight of you as I can and you'll try to roll sideways." Sams nod was all he needed. „Ready?" And he pushed himself up with as much strentgh as he could. His back gave a twitch and his arms protested, but his legs barely budged. Sam rolled, half-crawled out, groaning with pain while Dean bit his lips and tried to control his shaking arms.

Sam collapsed next to him and Dean followed him right away. They lay like this for a few seconds, breathing heavily. Sam turned his head slowly, studying his brother, eyes settling on the spiders body that was pinning him down.

„Shit Dean!"

Dean gave him a reassuring smile. „Don't worry Sam, it looks worse than it is."

Sam gave him a sceptical look. „No, really! Think I got away easy, nothing really hurts. My legs are just a bit numb." What was to be expected when you had a freaking monster spider resting on them.

Sam still didn't look convinced though, staring at him with wide eyes.

„Need to get you out.", Sam mumbled and tried to stand. Which was a bad idea. As soon as he'd heaved himself up – dunno how he even managed this – his wounded leg began to shake violently and buckled under his weight. Dean made a move to catch him, momentarily forgetting his predicament and cursed at the same time Sam screamed when hitting the floor hard.

„Sammy? Damn it, stay put!" Sam was sitting hunched over on the ground, head resting on his bent knee, bad leg outstretched in front of him, struggling to catch his breath.

Dean got a look at Sams wound and sighed with relief when no goo was gushing out of it anymore. While Sam was still fighting to control his breathing, Dean gave it another shot to free himself, without much success. He needed a plan B. And fast cause the numbness in his legs was spreading and that couldn't be a good sign at all.

„Dean?" He looked up and saw Sam crawling towards him, dragging his injured leg behind himself. „I'll help you."

Dean had to smile about Sams determination, pride rising for his little brother. But to be honest: Sam was injured pretty bad and he doubted that he would have the strength to lift up the spider – one-handed, he had to point out cause his broken arm wouldn't be of much help.

„Sam, don't!" His little brother was next to him now, one hand already reaching under the hairy body. „You can't even stand on your own. You'll just hurt yourself." And that was the last thing Dean wanted to see.

But little brothers were always too stubborn for their own good. Sam didn't back down. He even tightened his grip, eyes already screwed up in concentration, waiting for Dean to get ready. Dean sighed.

„Alright, but be careful!" Sam nodded. „Okay... on three: one, two..." And he took a deep breath. „Three!"

Dean braced himself against the weight pinning him down while Sam groaned beside him, trying to help as much as he could. And to his surprise, he even felt the pressure on his legs easing a bit, giving him room to wriggle his toes. He didn't waste any time and struggled to free himself. He almost had one leg out when Sams adrenaline rush eventually wore off and Dean was trapped once again.

„Sorry!", Sam panted. „I just need a minute." But his pale and dripping face, contorted with pain spoke volumes. By no means would a minute be enough. Sam leaned back, rested his head on the spiders body and closed his eyes.

A low rumble broke the silence and Dean already knew what was coming before he even felt the ground trembling beneath him. Dust was raining down on them and small pebbles followed when the aftershock increased. Sams eyes shot open and he looked up at the ceiling with fear in his eyes.

„No, Dean!" Sams voice was shaking, panic clearly audible. Which wasn't a surprise, considering that he'd been buried beneath rocks only a few hours ago.

„Calm down Sammy." Dean reached for Sams hand, squeezing it slightly. „Aftershocks are usually less fierce. It'll be over in no time." Or at least he hoped so. Sam swallowed hard, eyes still tending upwards, but his hand squeezed back in understanding.

Suddenly Sam let out a yelp, jumping forward – or at least trying to, cause the kid couldn't really jump anymore – and his head whipped around. Dean didn't need to ask what happened, he felt it himself. The weight on top of his legs shifted.

Shit, that can't be good. Or can it? Couldn't he move his left leg all of the sudden? Dean took a deep breath and crept forward. He managed to get it free quiet easily, cheering inwardly. But his right leg was still trapped, so he tried to twist and braced his free foot against the spiders body.

Another jolt of the ground gave him the opportunity he needed and he pushed sharply. A piercing pain shot through his right knee, making him gasp. But he still fell back, free at last.

**TBC**

**Please let me know what you think. :) I'll be on holiday for the next two weeks - great for me, not so great for you, cause my laptop has to stay home i'm afraid. So it might take some time for the next update, hope you'll forgive me... Take care everyone!**


	9. Chapter 9

**I am so sorry that you had to wait so long. But I'm back and the story is finally going on. :) I'm not sure if I managed to answer every review before leaving for vacation, so again: thanks a lot to everyone who took the time to press the review button. I love you all! Have fun reading now!**

**Chapter 9**

Sam was at Deans side in an instant, hand resting on his trembling shoulder, talking to him, but he couldn't piece together the words. The pain in his knee made his mind fuzzy. He bit his lip to suppress a groan and tried to breathe through it. It took Dean a minute to get back his bearings. When the pain lessened and his vision cleared, he could see Sams worried face above his.

„Uh-oh, personal space, dude!" Sam held out his good hand and Dean took it, slowly sitting up, ignoring his still dully pounding knee.

The shaking around them had finally stopped. Dean turned and smiled at the sight of both spiders lying on the ground deadly still.

„Ouch!" Dean hissed when his knee gave a painful jolt, thanks to his little brother who had started to do some prodding with his good hand. „Hey, stop it!"

Sam shot him a look that clearly said 'Shut up!' and carried on with his examination. He carefully pushed up his jeans and Dean looked down for the first time, relieved to find his knee mostly unharmed – from the outside at least. No cuts, no blood, just a bit of swelling that he could deal with easily. As long as his brother stopped thrusting needles into it.

Sams cold hand settled on his knee, easing the pain a bit and he dared to close his eyes for just a moment. „It's hot to the touch. And swelling quite fast. Can you move it?"

Dean didn't feel like moving right now, but he wouldn't have a choice if he wanted to get out of this stinking hole. He still had a little brother to take care of. Spreaking of – why was said brother mothering _him_? Shouldn't it be the other way around? Sam was the hurt one here, bloody, feverish, with pale skin and glassy eyes looking down at him worriedly... And come to think of it, his hand wasn't just like normal cold... it was way too cold, freezing actually.

Dean sat up abruptly, forgetting about his own aches for a moment when he took Sams hand in his own. Yeah, freezing – not good at all. He was obviously going into shock. From the loss of blood or the venom he didn't know. But one thing was for sure: they couldn't lose any more time.

Sam seemed to have forgotten what he'd asked him, eyes already half-closed again. He'd spent all his energy on helping him out of his predicament. But sleeping wasn't an option. He would never be able to carry his giant of a brother out of here on his own. And he'd be damned if he let Sam slip away from him now, too afraid that he might not wake up.

„Okay hero, let's keep your eyes open a bit longer, alright?" He slightly shook Sam on his good shoulder and his glassy green eyes watched him closely while he crawled to their duffle to retrieve some painkillers. He swallowed them with a bit of water, headed back and thrust the water bottle into Sams hand.

„Drink! I'd love to give you some more painkillers -"

Sams eyebrows raised. „I don't need -"

But Dean interrupted him right away. „Yes, you do! But I'm afraid you already had enough in the past hours. I don't know if your body can cope with any more, especially with the venom still coursing through your blood."

Sams hand shook when he lifted the bottle up to his lips and Dean laid his own hand on top of his to help him.

„How is your leg?" It was Deans time to start prodding now and Sam flinched when he touched the ugly wound. Smears of the strange dark gook still surrounded it, but it wasn't gushing out anymore.

He wasn't finished cleaning it yet, but after their incidents with the spiders, he'd had enough of surprise attacks and just wanted to get the hell out of here before any other supernatural monster decided to show up. Or another aftershock finally buried them alive. It had to wait. Safety first, then patching up.

Dean nudged Sam with his elbow, whose eyes had already been drifting close again. „We should get going now."

„Going?" Sam eyed Deans knee suspiciously. „With both of us handicapped?"

„I'm not handicapped! Nothing can bring Dean Winchester down!" And he jumped to his feet to prove it.

If the wall hadn't been just in his reach to steady himself, he would have taken a nosedive right away. Sams good hand shot out - like _he_ could catch him. Dean would have laughed if his knee hadn't been such a bitch, burning and shaking under his weight. He bit his lip to suppress a groan. He didn't want Sam to worry about him.

Dean took a deep breath, counted till five and let go of his support, swaying dangerously when he took his first step. But seeing Sam already on the brink of dozing off again made his legs move faster and he was at his little brothers side in an instant.

„Hey!" His voice echoed around the cave and Sam jumped. „No sleeping yet princess!"

Dean bent forward and hefted their duffle on his shoudler. He took the time to reload his gun, in case their bad luck struck again. He bit his lip when he had to squat down to get a good grip around his brothers back. But before he could lift him up, Sams call stopped him.

„Wait Dean! No... where -" His voice was scratchy and he coughed, whole body going rigid.

„Outside of course, genius!" He rubbed his hand on Sams back, trying to calm him down. „Finding you a nice warm bed to play sleeping beauty."

But Sam just shook his head stubbornly. „Map... we need to look... where we have to go.", Sam panted, still trying to catch his breath.

Dean stared at him, then a flash of a smile crossed his face. „That's my boy!"

It took a few minutes to spot where they were currently situated and to find the shortest way back without crossing the collapsed tunnel they'd escaped from before. After their unexpected trouble with the monster spiders, the cave-in seemed to be a lifetime ago.

„Okay, up you go!" And together they struggled to their feet, both panting when they finally stood. Sam leaned heavily on him and the extra weight put a strain to his messed up knee. He gritted his teeth in pain, but was relieved when it didn't give way with their first steps. The pills he'd swallowed seemed to have taken effect by now and they slowly started their long way towards freedom.

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It was the third time Sam stumbled over his own feet and Dean, injured and hurting – even though he wouldn't admit it, but he just knew his big brother too well – hadn't been able to catch him so that they both went down hard. The shock of the fall climbed from his knee up to the wound in his thigh, the pain blurring his vision for a second. But he knew that he had to pull himself together cause there was no chance that Dean could haul him out of the caves all by himself, despite all the big brother adrenaline coursing through his veins.

Sam had tried to stay focused on their path when they set out, but soon realized that he needed all his concentration to just keep his legs moving. He totally lost any track of time, just following Deans lead blindly. He got increasingly tired, his limbs felt numb and everything was hazy around him. It all felt a lot like dreaming. But it was Deans voice that kept him awake and in the real world. He couldn't follow his words all the time, but it was enough to not let him slip into the blissful blackness that called out to him.

Dean was tugging on his good arm, rousing him from his thoughts. Sam looked up at him and blinked, but his brothers face was still blurry and his head didn't wanna stop spinning. Deans lips were moving, but it was hard to make out any words through the ringing in his ears. He closed his eyes before his stomach started to revolt again.

'Focus Sam, focus!', he told himself and tried to concentrate on his brothers words at first. The ringing slowly died down and Deans voice reached his ears.

„Hang on Sammy … made it halfway through... doing great! Just..."

Sam felt far from doing great, but if Dean asked him to hang on, he'd do his best. And if it meant to fight through the pain and exhaustion and to keep himself from puking his guts out, he'd do it.

„Help me up!" His voice was barely a whisper, but Dean seemed to have heard him, squeezing his hand encouragingly. And even if he did not, he'd still know what Sam wanted. Cause his big brother had always been able to read him like an open book.

Deans arm tightened around his back and they were up on their feet only seconds later. Sams movements were sluggish and he was more stumbling than walking, but it was better than nothing. And if he couldn't keep his eyes open, he'd at least try to make sense of Deans jabbering, to stay awake and keep him distracted.

„... remember that time we'd stayed in this shabby motel in Dexter? Dad had been on a job for two days and we were condemned to stay inside till he got back cause of the killings in this area. You were eight and whining all the time about not being allowed to play outside. You told me you were a big boy and could take care of yourself. Well, you didn't know what was going on in that town, so..."

Oh yeah, Sam remembered. Dean made sure of it for weeks afterwards, teasing him and being his usual jerk.

„I was in the bathroom, enjoying a hot shower when you came rushing in, screaming and tripping over your own feet. You almost gave me a heartattack. I thought whatever Dad had gone after, had found a way inside our room despite all the wards I'd put up."

He forced his eyes open and peeked at Dean in the dim light, who was smirking by now.

„I couldn't stop laughing when I saw the tiny spider on your bed. You refused to set one foot back into the room before I got rid of it. Insisting to be a big boy, but screaming like a girl when -"

„It was a black widow and scuttling right over my hand while I was reading."

„You knew what it was?" Dean raised an eyebrow. „Barely in school and already a geek." Dean laughed but was cut short when they came round a corner and suddenly stood in front of a huge pile of stones. The tunnel in front of them was blocked again.

**TBC**


	10. Chapter 10

**Are you already as excited as I am? Only two weeks left! :D Till then, happy reading with the next chapter!**

**Chapter 10**

Dean already knew that their life sucked. But come on, how much bad luck can someone have?

He was sick of stumbling over rocks every few seconds, of all the dust swirling around and making it hard to breath. Sick of running into some freaking obstacle almost each time they came round a corner. Sick of hearing his little brother gasp and hiss next to him without being able to ease his pain. He just wanted out.

The weight on his shoulder increased and he glanced at Sam, who seemed to have taken walking better than standing. Okay, time for a break. He lowered Sam to the ground before his legs could crumple beneath him. Deans knee gave a painful jolt in the process and he decided to join his brother for just a second. He had to take a look at the map anyway to find a possible detour.

Sams eyes were already closed again, head and back resting on the cave wall. Dean pinched him, afraid that he'd already slipped into unconsciousness. But his little brother just waved his hand, mumbling something that sounded a lot like „jerk". Grinning, Dean allowed him this little rest and drew his attention back to the map.

He screwed up his eyes, looking cosely. No, that wasn't possible! Looking up and down the tunnel, he remembered the large cavern they'd passed only a minute ago. The last one before reaching the exit if he'd kept track of their path just right. Which was blocked now. Their only way out! Damn!

He cursed loudly, startling Sam whose sleepy eyes opened, a puzzled look on his face. It could only be about a hundred meter behind the cave-in to reach the end of the tunnel, to step out under the open sky. They were so close and yet so far. He slammed his fist into the wall. They were so screwed!

„Dean, what -?" His brothers voice wasn't more than a croak, but Deans attention was on him instantly. Sam fell into a coughing fit, whimpering in between as his whole broken body shook with tremors. It broke Deans heart to see his little brother like this. He felt totally helpless. He spoke soothing words of comfort, but they couldn't take away the pain, wouldn't help him save Sam. But it was his responsibility, he couldn't just give up now and condemn them to their deaths. He had to fight till the end - for his brother.

The coughing stopped and Sams weakened body slumped against Dean. He was still trembling slightly, but this time from the cold, even though his skin was hot to the touch. A chilly breeze blew down on them. Dean tightened his jacket he'd given Sam earlier around him to keep him warm, tucking it in neatly. It wasn't much, but better than nothi-

His hands suddenly paused when his mind caught up with his surroundings. A breeze... There hadn't been one in the cave system the entire time. He turned around, eyes peering at the blockage in front of them. If there was a breeze, there had to be an opening somewhere. His hopes flared up again. A smile crossed his lips and he squeezed Sams hand tightly.

„Sam, just hang on a little longer. I'm going to get us out." Dean tried to raise, but Sam didn't let go of his hand, weakly tugging on it.

„Where... 'ou goin'?" It was only a whisper, but he still didn't miss the underlying fear in it. Sams eyes were opened, following his brothers every movement. He sounded a lot like 5 years old at that moment, back when he'd woken up from a nightmare, clutching at Dean like his life depended on it.

„Not far, Sammy. If there's a breeze in here, there must be a hole in the blockage ahead. I'll try to dig one big enough for me and your gigantic frame to get through."

Sam frowned. „No.. detour?"

„No, it's the only way out. The exit must be right behind it."

„But... you're hurt..." Sams eyes settled on Deans messed up knee, concern reflecting in them.

„Don't worry, it's not that bad. I'm alright. We'll be out in no time. Trust me!"

He ruffled Sams hair, who closed his eyes to the touch, mumbling: „... always trust you..."

Dean smiled. „That's my boy!" He stood up then and turned around to face the pile of rocks ahead.

It didn't take him long to find the right spot. One of the wooden beams had canted, was propped against the wall now. Rocks were scattered all around it, but if you looked closely, most of the collapsed ceiling here was still supported by it. He took a deep breath and started to clear away the rocks below the beam. There should be enough room for them to crawl through once he'd finished. He just prayed that he wouldn't kick loose any rocks that were crucial for the whole structure to hold.

Dean set to work at once, digging through dirt and grit, lifting and carrying heavy rocks, huffing and puffing all the time. Soon his hands were sore and grazed, but he kept going nevertheless. His knee screamed with pain every time he bent down, but he just bit his lips and carried on. He had to stop shortly a few times to wait till his head stopped spinning. Sweat dripped off his forehead and he lost track of time, only concentrating on his task ahead.

He couldn't suppress a yelp of delight when the last bit of rubble rained down to open a hole big enough to finally escape their dark prison. He sighed and turned around, surprised to see Sam staring back at him, sleepily but awake. He'd been afraid that his brother would have already blacked out, since he couldn't keep him awake with lame stories of their life anymore while working on their escape route. But Sam gave him the thumbs up, smiling at him. Tough kid he was!

Hopefully he was tough enough for what they had to face now. The hole was barely wide enough for one person and you had to crawl in order to get to the other side. He didn't dare to dig any deeper, he already pushed their luck enough on this. He wasn't particularly keen on this either, it would be a bitch for his messed up knee. But it would be even worse for Sam with his wounded leg and broken arm. And Dean wouldn't be able to help him much at all.

Sam was already trying to push himself up when Dean reached his side – though not with much success yet.

„Sammy, stop!" He gently laid one hand on Sams shoulder. „Just wait another minute, I'll get our stuff first."

Dean picked up their gear and grabbed their flashlight which to his dismay appeared to be much fainter than an hour ago. It was definitely time to get the hell out of here. Then he helped Sam up, both swaying dangerously but thankfully staying on their feet.

„Ready?"

Sam nodded and they stumbled more than walked to the hole. A chilly breeze blew over them, promising fresh air and an open sky.

„I'll go first, than I'll be able to light the way for you." Dean let Sam slip to the ground carefully, shouldered their duffle, took a deep breath and and started to crawl. He cried out when his knee hit a sharp stone, black dots dancing in front of him for a moment when he fought against the onslaught of nausea. When his stomach had settled again, he continued, careful to put as little strain as possible on his damaged knee. He reached the end of the hole, exhaling when he could stretch out his legs again.

Dean turned around, looking back at Sam who was chalk-white and biting his bottom lip. He knew Sam hated such confined spaces. But he didn't have a choice here.

„Okay Sammy, your turn!"

Sam swallowed and started moving. It had already been hard enough to squeeze through the hole on all fours, but Sam was handicapped and had only three limbs left to do the work. His broken arm was hanging limply in the sling and he was dragging his wounded leg behind himself, obviously too weak to move it at all. It was slow and Dean cringed at every moan escaping Sam, but he kept encouraging him, holding out his hand to help Sam on the last few feet.

His brother literally fell out of the hole and into Deans arms, panting heavily, a few tears glistening on his dirt-covered face. Dean brushed them away, not caring about the chick-flick he caused by it.

„You're alright, you did good Sammy!"

They sat on the ground for another minute, resting and recovering. Dean waited till Sams breathing had evened out a bit before heaving him onto his feet again.

„Come on, we're almost out. Can you see the light over there?"

There was indeed a light at the end of the tunnel, faint but there. Dean carried most of Sams weight by now, puffing with each step they took. Even though his own legs felt wobbly and all his muscles screamed, he could literally feel the adrenaline coursing through his body, giving him the strentgh he needed. When they came closer, they could see that it was the moonlight glistening on the wet rock and grass. It was night by now and looked like it had rained when they'd been inside the caves. The peaceful scenery that opened up in front of them when they stepped outside almost seemed surreal after all their struggles and the darkness within the last few hours.

**TBC**

**Finally outside! Who knew it would take that long? (Not me!) :) Have a nice week everybody!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey guys! Are you as excited as I am about the new season? I think it's awesome so far. :) Got me a bit distracted I admit, next to real life. So it took me a while to write this, but I'm finally done. And coz you've been so patient with me, you get an extra long chapter. ;) Enjoy!**

**Chapter 11**

Sam took a deep breath, enjoying the cool night air on his feverish skin. He peered at his brother next to him, who seemed to be as glad as he was to finally breathe freely again. The moon had risen high in the sky and cast a gleaming light on the little clearing they were standing on. But the forest ahead of them was dense and long dark shadows were dancing over the trail they had come from in the morning.

Dean nudged him. „Let's sit down for a moment."

Probably a good idea, cause his legs felt like jelly. Dean led him to a nearby rock and helped him down. He watched him taking out his cellphone, its light illuminating his face, which screwed up a second later.

„Shit, no reception...", he muttered to himself. When he turned and saw Sam still alert and watching, he gave him a smile. „Well, that's okay. Change of plans bro, looks like we're gonna have to be the heroes again and save ourselves."

But Sam saw that his brother was struggling with himself, trying to maintain a cool face when he actually knew they were far from okay. It was a long walk back to the car, about a mile he assumed. It had taken all his strength to escape the caves. He knew he wasn't in any condition to walk much further. He was already having a hard time just keeping his eyes open. And Dean knew that.

But as he watched him rummaging around their duffle, triumphantly holding up another brightly glowing flashlight a moment later, he had to admit that this would never stop his brother. He'd always been stubborn – probably runs in the family.

„Okay buddy, it's time to move on." Dean was at his side again. „I know it's the last thing on your mind right now. But it's freezing out here and I'm not taking the risk to set up camp and wait for help that we don't even know will arrive. So let's get your ass up! Warm and cozy hospital bed is waiting."

Dean heaved him up from the cold ground. Sams legs didn't wanna cooperate with him and he sagged against his brother, causing him to sway under his weight. When Dean gave a painful groan, probably from his twisted knee - which was so not okay by the way - he knew he had to get a grip on himself. Dean was the hero here, but he didn't have any superpowers and Sam doubted he could haul him back to the car just by himself. He was going to help him as much as he could.

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They were making their way through the woods, going downhill for now. Dean was looking at his cellphone every few minutes, but they weren't lucky so far. What had been a pleasant night chill at first, was soon becoming a biting cold. Sam could feel it clawing at him and sending shivers up and down his body. He wasn't paying attention to his surroundings anymore, everything was blurry anyway. He wondered how his legs kept moving at all, it seemed like he'd lost all feeling in them.

Well, not all of it. His legs may be numb, but his wound was sizzling hot, flaring up with each step he took. That's how he even noticed that he was still walking. He knew that thinking about the pain itself always made it worse. But with a blurry vision and a ringing in his ears that drowned out Deans voice, it was the only thing he could hang on to stay awake at the moment. If it helped them to get back to the Impala, so be it. Even if it sucked.

But all hell broke loose when Sam caught his foot on a root or something and before Dean could do anything, slipped out of his hold and landed hard on his knees. For the pain shooting through his thigh he was prepared for, but not for his muscles locking tight suddenly, as though his leg was caught in a vise. His good arm shot out, grabbing his leg though it wouldn't do him much good.

Before Sam could let out more than a surprised moan, his leg started to twitch and seize all on his own. He toppled over, gasping for breath and biting his lip to stop himself from screaming out loud. Dean was talking to him, his hands on his shoulder, probably shocked about his sudden outbreak.

„My l..leg... cramping... ahh shit..." Another jolt shot through it and he bit his tongue, tasting blood.

Deans hands left his shoulder and settled on his leg, feeling for knots and trying to massage it. Sam whimpered, hoping for the muscle spasms to stop soon. It took a moment for the first knots to come loose and Sams head sank down, his hitched breathing easing a bit. But the break didn't last long before his thigh seized up again. Deans gasp didn't go unnoticed and Sam dared to look up, regretting it instantly.

He saw the slimy goo oozing from the wound once more, momentarily transfixed by it before the pain registered and an agonized cry was torn from his throat. It was sizzling and fizzing relentlessly. It felt like hundreds of ants were slowly digging into his wound and he had the sudden urge to get rid of them, to tear them out. His good hand reached out, clawed at them, sinking into raw flesh.

Deans hands were on him at once, grabbing his tightly and pulling it back, shouting words that he couldn't make out. He wanted to tell Dean about the ants, to chase them away, but his voice didn't wanna cooperate anymore. His head was fuzzy and the last strength left his body. His arm fell limply to the ground and he slipped into the blissful darkness.

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

„Sam? Sammy?" Shit, what should he do? His brothers moans and screams had been cutting deep into his heart and Sam digging into his wound while he was sitting right next to him had been a shock itself. But him suddenly going slack in his arms was even worse. There fell a deep silence around them. The whole forest seemed to have stopped breathing, not a breeze was stirring anymore. It was suffocating, the silence and darkness seemed to crush him on the spot.

Dean watched the moon casting a pale light on his brothers face, which looked almost peaceful. The lines of pain had dissappeared and he could have been just asleep. If it wasn't for the small trickle of blood seeping out of his slightly opened mouth. Deans hand was shaking as he reached out to feel for a pulse on Sams neck. He didn't dare to breathe, waiting for the reassuring throbbing, counting the seconds that went by, his heart beating fast.

There! It was low, but regular and unmistakably there.

Dean sighed with relief. He brushed away the blood on Sams chin, taking a better look and was glad to see that his brother had only bit his tongue. Which wasn't a big surprise. His eyes travelled down to the ugly wound, still spilling stinking gunk. But the seizing seemed to lessen, the twitches coming only occationally now and were barely visible.

He looked down the trail, trying to assess how far it still was to the car. He knew Sam needed help as fast as possible. Maybe he should get down to the road, try to get reception there... But one look at Sam let him cast away that idea. He wouldn't leave his brother behind, no matter what.

„Here goes nothing, Sammy!" He bent down and with great huffing and puffing hauled Sam up, swaying under his weight. His brother didn't stir, even though he must have jostled his broken arm in the process. That can't be good, right? Deans knee threatened to buckle beneath him, but he refused to give up now. It couldn't be far anymore.

And he was right. When he stumbled around the next corner, he finally could see his baby shining in the moonlight. It was the most beautiful sight ever.

Sam moaned when Dean carefully laid him down in the front seat.

„Sammy? You with me?" But he didn't respond at all, laying still, eyes still closed. The only movement were slight shivers wracking his body.

Dean stopped at the trunk to grasp a blanket, then hurriedly climbed in too, resting Sams fevered head on his lab. He tucked in his brother, brushed away his damp hair to check his temperature – way too high – and took his pulse again – way too low. He cursed when his cell still showed no sign of reception.

„Hang on Sammy!" He started the engine and stepped on the gas. One hand on the steering wheel, the other on Sams chest, feeling his heart beating to keep himself grounded and they sped off into the night.

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

They've been on the road for about ten minutes when his cell suddenly lit up. They finally had a signal. Dean reached for it, but hesitated to make his call. He had been thinking about their next step. It was obvious that Sam was beyond Deans abilities to fix. But one look at the nasty wound on Sams leg, still smeared with gunk and bubbling slightly and he knew that a hospital was out of option for them. How could you explain _this_? There was only one other way and he hoped to God it would work.

It rang... once, twice... „Come on, please pick up!"

It clicked and a gruff voice answered. „It's time you idjits called! Don't you know how to pick up a phone?"

Deans heart made a jump. „Bobby, thank God! We need your help!"

„What did you boys get into this time?"

„Later. Sam's hurt, but I can't take him to the hospital. Do you know someone who can help? Someone we can trust?"

„Where are you boys?" He could hear the worry in Bobbys voice and was glad that he kept a cool head now.

„Colorado, near a town called Florence."

„Hang on a sec." He heard Bobby rumbling in the background. Dean looked down at Sam, but there wasn't any difference, Sam was still unconscious.

„Dean, I got somebody. Name is Dr. Matthew Warran, King Street in Colorado Springs, about an hour from you. He's got a doctor's office. His wife was involved in a case I worked on about two years ago. Helped to patch me up back then. I'll try to call him, tell him you're coming."

„Thanks Bobby!"

„How's the boy?"

Dean cast a glance down. „Not good. Broken arm, some supernatural oozing wound on his thigh... He's out cold for now. Got a high fever and some damn poison in his system."

Dean heard Bobby gasp. „Stay on the line, Dean. I'll be right back." A moment later, Bobby was talking to someone on another phone, probably to the doc.

Dean waited, utterly relieved to have a plan now. He floored the gas pedal, whispering: „Come on, baby, show us what you got." It wasn't long before Bobby was back on the phone.

„I reached him. He'll be waiting for you." The words gave Dean new hope.

„So what the hell happened?"

„A frigging earthquake and some fugly monster spiders." Dean briefly filled Bobby in on what had happened in the last hours.

„Do you know what those things are?"

„Dunno, but I'll do some digging." Dean heard Bobby rummaging in the back, probably already a heavy book in his hand. „How're you holding up by the way?"

Dean had to pull himself together not to laugh. „I'm not the one out cold."

„Yeah, but being caught in an earthquake, some hell of a fight with a monster spider and hauling your brother all the way back to the car could have been no picnic either."

Dean sighed. He knew Bobby would stick to his guns. „I'm fine." Bobbys disbelieving snort was unmistakable. „Okay, not fine. But I'm still kicking and will be till we arrive in Colorado Springs."

„Dean-" Bobby started, but he just interrupted him.

„Bobby, don't... I'll live." It was Bobbys time to sigh now.

„Alright!", he gave in. „Just be careful Dean. I'll meet up with you as fast as I can."

„Thanks Bobby... really."

„Yeah, sure... Just call me when you get there."

„I will." When Dean hang up, he felt a warmth spreading through his entire body that had nothing to do with his brothers radiating heat. Sam stirred on his lap, head moving slightly, mumbling something that sounded a lot like his name. Deans hand settled back on his chest, counting each beat of his heart.

„Hang on Sammy, we're almost there." And the Impala shot through the night.

**TBC**

**What's a story without good old Bobby? :) Until next time, cheers!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

With them always being on the road, an hour's drive was usually nothing. But with a killer headache, aching muscles, a knee practically on fire and a broken little brother on his lap it just turned into the worst nightmare possible. Every minute seemed to take a lifetime for Dean. Every beat he felt under his fingers made him anxious that it could be Sams last. There was nothing that could keep him distracted from his fears of not making it in time, from his frustration that he couldn't do more for his brother right now.

They'd already been in a lot of crap, but he knew this was bad. Cause when they'd finally reach the doc, there'd still be the problem that they didn't know squat about the venom coursing through Sams veins. And the freaking ooze was still leaking out of his wound. He doubted that the doc could do much without any inside info. Bobby was working on it alright, but how much time had Sam left?

Dean knew he was being gloomy, but could you really blame him? Sam was alarmingly still, hadn't stirred since he'd hung up on Bobby. The pained lines on his face despite his unconsciousness cut right into his heart. His heartbeat was way too slow, his breathing too shallow and his body a damn radiator. And on top of it all, his own head was totally killing him. It felt like someone was skulling him with a hammer. His vision was blurry too. Thank god for the deserted roads or it would've been an even bigger bitch to drive.

How far had they come by now? Bobby had said it would take them an hour, but not when the Impala was giving everything she got. She'd definitely win an auto race right now.

"Mmmh… D'n?" Dean jumped, startled by the sudden break of silence. Sam groaned from being jostled by Deans movement.

"Sorry buddy, sorry!" He took Sams hand and rubbed it with his thump. "Try to breathe through it, you hear me? Sam?"

His brothers head was wobbling on his lab, eyes shut tight, his face contorted with pain.

"Sammy!" His anxious voice was booming around the car, too loud for him as his head flared up with pain. But it worked. Tired eyes were blinking up at him, eyelids fluttering as though it was the hardest thing ever to keep them open. His baby brother looked around confused, obviously having a hard time to figure out what's happening.

"wha'… 'pala?" Okay, he was coherent enough to recognize his baby, so he couldn't be in such a bad shape, right?

"Yeah Sammy, we're on the road, going to get you some help."

Sam studied him, knitting his brow before he nodded slowly, eyes already drifting close again.

"Sam! Hey, no sleeping now. Stay with me!" Sam just mumbled incoherently.

"Come on boy, I'm bored here. I need some company." He could see a ghost of a smile on his brothers weary face. A moment later pained eyes were watching him again.

"That's it, Sammy! Hang in there, okay?" His gaze went back to the road ahead.

"Mmmh..." Well, not much of an answer, but at least Sam was with him now.

Dean kept rubbing circles on Sams hand. He normally wasn't the touchy-feely type. But their situation didn't quite count as normal anyway. And it always helped his brother to relax.

"D'n…" Sams voice was scratchy and he coughed slightly before he tried again. "Dean, 'u look l'ke hell."

Dean couldn't help but laugh at that. "You're one to talk, Sammy! But you wanna know the difference between us? I'm still my awesomely handsome self, even in my darkest hour. You're just looking like a kicked puppy when you're down."

"B't I'm still taller th'n 'u." Dean gazed down at Sam, who was smirking now.

"Well, little brother… I'd say right now you're looking up to me which makes me the taller one."

"Alw'ys lookin' up to 'u." Sam mumbled, eyes already half-closed again.

"Uh uh, that's the fever talking now. You know the rule, no chick-flicks."

"What 'u doin' with my hand th'n?"

"Oh shut up, bitch!"

"Jerk!" Sam was laughing quietly. Dean couldn't help but smile either. But the moment was over when Sams face screwed up again.

"Hey Sasquatch, how're you doing?"

"Dunno… alright… tired… everythin' so blurry."

"Well, that makes two of us then." But with Sam squirming restlessly on his lap, wincing from time to time, he knew exactly that this wasn't all. Sams body was hidden beneath the blanket that kept him warm, but if he had a guess, he'd say that his leg was still giving him hell.

Dean saw lights in the distance and could have cheered when they passed the town sign of Colorado Springs only moments later.

"Here we go Sammy, doc can't be far anymore."

"Doc?" Sam seemed to be utterly confused. Which wasn't a surprise, he'd still been in dreamland when Dean had been on the phone.

"Yeah, the doc. Bobby told me about this guy, said he was an old friend. Has a doctor's office right around the corner. He'll fix you up in no time, I promise. Best drugs in the world already waiting for you."

"Don't do drugs!", Sam protested, sounding a lot like 5 years old again, back when Dean tried to pin the blame for a broken cup or a stain on the carpet on him. Dean carefully placed a hand on his brothers forehead. It was still hot to the touch – not good at all.

"I know, dummy. But you don't wanna turn these down. Gonna take the pain away and will send you back to dreamland."

"Sleepin'?" His voice sounded hopeful.

"Oh yeah Sammy, sleeping. Hey, but not yet!" Sams eyes were already falling close again.

Dean steered the Impala around the next corner and saw a sole man standing on the sidewalk, waving his hands as they approached. He sighed in relief. They'd finally made it.

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

He was tired. Had never felt more tired in his life. The familiar humming of the Impala was lulling, Deans hand comforting, giving him the feeling of security. He knew he was safe here. So why couldn't he just go back to sleep?

But Dean wanted him to stay awake. He didn't know why, but his brother's worried, even anxious expression told him something was wrong. And he didn't wanna leave his brother alone with this look on his face.

A blast of cold air hit him unexpectedly and he tried to scurry away from it, confused when his body didn't wanna cooperate. Dean was talking again and Sam looked up, surprised to see another blurry figure next to his brothers face. The driver's door was opened, they must have stopped. But why? Wasn't the Impala the safest place for them?

"Sammy!" Oh, Dean was talking to him now. "It's time to move. The doc has already prepared everything. A nice and warm bed will be much more comfortable, don't you think?"

What? He was comfortable here. But Dean still looked scared, couldn't hide it behind his reassuring smile. Maybe he should help him? He didn't wanna cause him any more trouble.

"Yeah…" His voice trembled. "H'lp me up!"

Dean lifted his head carefully while he slipped out from under him. His brothers hand let go of his and all of the sudden Sam felt strangely vulnerable, even though he knew that Dean wasn't far away. Probably just coming around the car to get the passenger door.

It was the anguished cry that made his blood run cold, a surge of fear creeping up his spine. Dean was in trouble, Dean needed help. Panic set in and Sam bit back a cry of pain when he attempted to prop himself up, dizziness overwhelming him almost instantly. But he tried to shake it off and looked around desperately for any sign of his big brother.

Sam saw him only a few feet away, hands on the Impalas hood, leaning heavily on it. Dean looked chalk-white, eyes closed and panting. A man was standing next to him, a hand resting on his shoulder. What was going on?

"Dean?" His voice wasn't more than a whisper. He had to try harder. "Dean?" The second attempt was much louder and obviously got his brothers attention as his head raised and pained eyes met his own. Dean gave him the thumbs-up though, which was total crap. Cause if anyone could read his brother, it was him and Dean was barely holding it together right now. He'd already been far from fine in the caves, but stubborn Winchester as he is, he'd shrugged it off. Stupid idiot!

He was so focused on his big brother that he jumped when a hand – clearly not Deans – touched his knee.

"Hey, easy there!" The voice was deep and calm and belonged to a man with dark hair, already streaked with grey and a friendly face, illuminated by the nearby street lamp. He watched him from the opened passenger door.

"Who… what…?" Damn, it was so hard to think straight right now, his mind being fuzzy and his eyelids so heavy.

"I'm Dr. Warran. Bobby Singer called me, actually startled me out of my sleep. Told me you two needed help. Right he was."

Bobby? Doctor? Oh yeah, Dean mentioned something like this.

"It's Sam, right? I'm gonna help you inside. We'll take it slow, okay?" The doctor was reaching for him and helped him to sit up. Well, actually he did all the work cause he was too weak to be much help.

"No, no… Dean?" He tried to turn around, but everything was spinning, black dots clouding his vision. Where was Dean? Wasn't he hurt?

"I'm here Sammy, I'm right here." A familiar hand clasped his good one and Sam sighed with relief.

"Didn't I tell you to sit down and let me do the work? That was a doctor's order."

"Sorry, was never good in following doctor's orders. Besides, you'll need help with this Sasquatch here, believe me."

The doc couldn't help laughing at that. "You can barely stand on your own feet right now. You won't be much help if your knee gives way and you knock yourself out. I can handle it."

Knee? What was wrong with Deans knee?

"I can handle it too. So let's move. I'll take his right side. You ready, Sammy?"

Ready for what? An arm was wrapped tightly around his waist and before he could protest he was standing. Well, at least he was upright, but standing required control over his legs. Which he didn't have. One was just weak, the other almost instantly tensed up and a moan escaped his lips. Dean talked to Dr. Warran again, but Sam was too occupied to breathe through the pain to understand any of it.

"Sam? The doc can give you something to relax your muscles, but we'll have to take a few steps first, okay?"

Well, he didn't have much of a choice here, right? The minutes that followed were torturous for him. With each step his muscles seemed to cramp up even more and Sam just wanted to black out to escape the pain. Which he must have had in the end cause when he opened his eyes again, he was lying on a soft mattress and staring up at a very freaked out Dean.

"You with me again? Just checked out there for a minute, kiddo."

A cool hand was touching his forehead, gently brushing damp hair out of his face. Sam tried to relax, but his leg was still seizing up, not giving him any peace. He looked down and noticed that his jeans were gone, giving him a clear view of his wound. Big mistake! Before he could stop himself, his stomach clenched and he threw up. Or that would've been the case if he'd eaten anything lately. Dry heaves shook his body and reminded him viciously of his broken arm. Dean squeezed his good hand and he hung on for dear life, trying to ride out the pain.

"Doc, any help here?" Deans voice sounded distant and suddenly he was afraid that his brother could leave him. But his hand was still holding his. So he was here, right? Another voice, clear but also way too quiet caught his attention.

"Sam, I'm giving you a muscle relaxant to stop the cramps and something to ease the pain, alright?"

Sam didn't even feel the needle piercing his thigh with his leg being on fire anyway. It felt like a lifetime till his muscles relaxed and he could breathe freely again. His head fell back on the pillow and he felt completely exhausted, his last strength drained from him. He noticed that Dean wasn't holding his hand anymore and looked down confused. Dr. Warran was working on his arm, a needle poking out from it. When did that happen? He was injecting something and Sam looked around, searching for his brother.

Dean was just sitting behind him, ruffling his hair when he found his eyes.

"You're gonna be fine. Pain will be gone in no time. Close your eyes, I won't go anywhere."

That was all Sam needed to hear and he did as he was told, already feeling the pain starting to ease. It didn't take long and he was fast asleep, Dean watching over him like he always did.

**TBC**

**So what do you think? We're coming close to an end... soon... or at least I think so, you never know what my crazy muse will still come up with, right? ;) Take care everyone!**


	13. Chapter 13

**I couldn't reply to everyone who reviewed so just thanks to all of you again, you make me really happy. :) I somehow had a hard time to write this chapter, but I hope it turned out alright after all. Have fun!**

**Chapter 13**

The last ten minutes Dr. Warran had been rushing in and out of the room, hooking Sam up on an IV and some monitors to keep an eye on his vital signs, attaching a nasal cannula to his face for oxygen and preparing injections. Dean tried to help, but exhaustion seemed to have caught up with him and his attempt to rise from his chair only resulted in a not so graceful nose-dive, deflecting the docs attention from Sam for a moment to get his ass back into the chair.

So Dean decided to follow Dr. Warran's orders for now – to "stay where you are for God's sake" – as if he'd want to distract the doc from helping his little brother again. Problem was: he just couldn't bear to do nothing at all. They were usually taking care of themselves, patching up wounds, keeping watch and nursing each other back to health. Even though he knew this was way out of his league – he couldn't even stand on his own damn feet right now – he still felt utterly helpless.

His gaze rested on Sam's face. His brother had been knocked out immediately after the morphine shot. He'd been freaked out at first, but Dr. Warran had assured him that he was only sleeping, that it was for his best and he needed all the rest he could get to keep fighting – whatever his body was struggling with. But Sam just didn't look rested to him. He didn't gain any color yet, sweat was still dripping off his forehead and his hair was a total mess. At least the lines of pain had finally disappeared.

Dr. Warran seemed to notice his distress. "Dean, keep an eye on the monitors and tell me when there's a change."

Dean looked up and saw the doc scrutinizing the ragged wound on Sam's thigh.

"What did you say caused this? A spider?"

"Monster spider, hairy, ugly and about twice as tall as Sleeping Beauty here is."

"Is this the poison?" He was carefully dabbing at the blood-crusted edge, wiping off the slimy goo that was still smeared around it.

"Not sure. It wasn't there till I tried to flush it with holy water. Was just bubbling right out of it. Happened a second time when his leg cramped up."

The doc raised his brows in confusion. "I've never seen anything like that." What a surprise!

"Can you do something about it?"

"Well, as long as we don't know what's coursing through his system, I can't apply any antitoxin."

"I doubt it's any known poison though." Cause that would actually mean having luck, something they obviously lacked. "We've never come across such creatures before. Bobby's looking into it. He'll find something." He just had to. Bobby always saved their asses, right? He still had to call him, promised to keep him posted.

Dean took out his cell, scrolling down to Bobby's number. From the corner of his eyes he watched Dr. Warran filling two syringes.

"What is that?"

"Adrenaline and an antihistamine. It'll support his blood pressure and will hopefully prevent anaphylaxis and an aggravation of the systemic effects. It's all we have right now to help his body fight against the poison."

All they had… and if it wasn't enough? Dean sighed and dialed Bobby's number. His gruff voice answered after the second ring.

"Finally! You boys okay?" He heard the rumbling of an engine in the background.

Dean snorted. "If you mean alive by 'okay' then yeah. We've made it to the doc's house. Sam's already on the good stuff, knocked him out straight away – girl like he is. Dr. Warran is doing what he can, but…" He just couldn't finish, had a lump in his throat. It was too painful to think of the possible outcome.

Bobby knew exactly that he was dreading the worst. "Don't worry Dean, the boy is tough, he'll get through this. I'm already on my way to you. Found a record of these creatures in one of my books that could fit. Nasty things, hard to harm at all, can only be killed by silver bullets-"

"Or by crushing it… you should add that to the list."

"What?"

"Oh, never mind… What about the poison?"

The moment of silence on the phone didn't bode well. "Bobby?"

"Well, it can be deadly." Dean's heart sank and he swore loudly: so not what he wanted to hear.

"But Dean, listen! There's an antidote for it." Thank God!

"What is it?"

"Nothing usual I'm afraid. You got to mix it yourself." Of course! "Lots of crazy ingredients, but I got almost everything from my stashes. Just need one more thing: a hair of the beast."

A hair? What the hell? But that shouldn't be a problem, right? He'd been buried beneath the thing, gotta be one somewhere. His gaze travelled down his body, hands feeling for any spider hairs on his pants. He hissed when he brushed his banged-up knee in the process, but cried out triumphantly only seconds later, holding up a two-inch long black hair – definitely not his.

"Got one. How long till you get here?"

"About six hours."

Dean caught his breath. "Six hours? Damn it!" He looked down at his brother, still pale and dangerously still.

"I'm already driving as fast as I can." Dean knew that. It wasn't Bobby's fault. He was probably just as freaked as he was.

"Boy, you told me about this oozy stuff, right? It's like a defense reaction of the poison. Listen, you gotta flush the wound with holy water again."

Dean opened his mouth, ready to protest – cause that would hurt like hell again and he just wanted his brother to have a break for once – but Bobby must have heard his sharp intake of breath and stopped him before he could get a word out.

"It's the only way Dean. I know it'll probably be painful, but it's gonna mobilize the poison for some time, gonna slow down its systemic attack. If it has to fight the holy water, it can't do as much damage in the meantime. You hear me?"

Dean sighed, giving in. "I hear you, Bobby."

"Good."

"You make it sound like the poison is actually alive, like some kind of parasite."

"I don't know what it is exactly, but it's definitely much more than just a poison."

Dean saw Dr. Warran watching him closely, eyebrows raised, probably not able to make much sense of only his side of the conversation.

"Hang in there! I'll call to check on you later again."

"Alright! Thanks Bobby, really… thanks!"

He heard the old man grunting incomprehensibly and then hung up.

Dean turned back to Dr. Warran who was still hovering over Sam's wound and seemed to be waiting for any information on his patient. Dean let him in shortly on what was said, explaining about the antidote and the holy water's effect. saw Dean's worried expression and gave him an encouraging smile.

"Sam's still under morphine, we might be lucky and he won't even feel it and just sleep on."

Dean tried to smile back, but failed miserably. He moved even closer to the bed, resting one hand on his brother's shoulder, the other on his forehead, brushing damp hair out of his face.

Dean held his breath when the first drop of holy water touched the wound, almost instantly causing a reaction. First a hissing sound, only moments later slowly bubbling out goo, followed by thin swirling wads of smoke. He watched Sam closely, but his expression didn't change. He slept on. Dean heaved a sigh of relief.

He looked up and saw the doc staring transfixed at the spectacle in front of him. But it only took him a second to regain his composure. They made eye contact and Dean nodded. Dr. Warran kept going, dripping holy water on the wound while carefully dabbing at the dark liquid, mixed with a little blood.

And then Dean felt it. Before the monitors started to beep alarmingly, even before his little brother stirred at all. It was like a change in the air and he knew that hoping for the best had been foolish of him.

It was a soft trembling at first and a fluttering of eyes, nothing serious. But then Sam's heart rate quickened and his breathing sped up, accompanied by a quiet whimpering now and then, cutting deep into Dean's heart. His hand started to move down, but Dean grabbed it before he could reach the wound.

"N'… stop!" Sam's voice wasn't more than a whisper, but he sounded afraid and desperate.

"Sammy, don't!" His brother's hand stilled and his head turned slightly into Dean's direction.

"D'n?"

"Yeah, I'm here." That seemed to calm him down a bit and his hand relaxed. Dean looked up and saw the doc pausing for a moment, watching them closely. Dean urged him to keep going, as long as Sam was still half out of it. His brother fought to control his breathing, but didn't try to interfere again. His eyes opened to slits, searching for Dean who moved even closer to get into his view.

"Wh't…?"

"Sssh, it's alright. Doc's flushing your wound, tries to stop the poison from spreading. Does it hurt badly?"

Sam frowned. "N't sure… burns… b't not so bad."

That was good news. Well, not good but it could be much worse at least. So the morphine still did its work. Sam's hand travelled up to his face, feeling for the cannula.

"Leave it, Sammy. It's just oxygen, makes breathing easier for you." Sam's eyes were full of confusion, but when Dean took his hand gently and led it down, he didn't resist.

His brother tried to look past him, but Dean didn't let him.

"Hey, eyes up! Don't look. My face is much prettier than your messed-up thigh."

Sam raised his eyebrows and gave a quiet laugh, which Dean pretended he didn't hear. But his little brother listened to him and kept his gaze straight, not looking down. His eyelids were soon drooping anyway, but the fine lines of discomfort didn't disappear, indicating that he was still awake.

After some time the goo stopped trickling out. They weren't sure if that was a good or bad sign, but it gave them the opportunity to clean the wound completely. Sam didn't make any sound while they worked and was fast asleep again by the time they were finally done.

"I should have a look at your knee now. Can't see you flinch at every little movement anymore."

"I'm fine, I had worse. We still need to take care of Sam's broken arm." Dean pointed at his brother's left forearm, still splinted and resting on a cushion next to him.

The doc sighed. "At least take some painkillers then."

Tempting, but he still had a little brother to take care of and he needed to be fully awake for that. "No thanks, I can take it." He reached for Sam's arm and carefully started to take off the bandages, indicating that this was the end of the conversation.

Dr. Warran let it go and helped Dean with the makeshift splint. "You did a good job with that."

"Not my first time. Our dad taught us a lot about field medicine." And he had way too much practice, remembering with dread when Sammy had broken his arm before on a Wendigo hunt when he was 14 and one time when his dad had a fractured leg in the middle of nowhere.

Dr. Warran examined Sam's forearm carefully while his patient thankfully slept on. "You know this should be X-rayed and casted, but I can't do that here. He needs a hospital for that."

That much he'd already assumed. "But that's no option."

"I understand. But I'm not well enough equipped for this. I'll clean that cut first-", he pointed at the two inch cut just above Sam's wrist, blood crusted but thankfully not bleeding anymore. "- and I'll stabilize his arm again. But as soon as Sam gets the antidote and his condition improves, you'll have to take him to a hospital. If his bones don't grow back together properly, it could result in a permanent dysfunction of his arm."

Permanent? Dean had no answer to that anymore. "I will, as soon as this is over."

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

An hour later, Dean was still sitting next to Sam's sleeping form, but his leg was resting on top of a second cushioned chair now, an ice pack covering his knee. Dr. Warran had been persistent on examining it so that he'd eventually caved in, too exhausted to talk his way out anymore.

The doc didn't think he'd broken anything or torn any ligaments, but the gross swelling which had appeared when taking off his jeans was indicative for a pretty severe inflammation at least. The doc had given him some painkillers – mild ones after he'd protested vehemently – a brace and some crutches to take the strain off it and help the healing process. Like he would use those! He'd also urged him to have it checked out in a hospital later on, just to be sure. Of course!

Sam had been out of it all along. Dean couldn't decide if he should be glad or worried about it. His vital signs have been steady so far and his fever even seemed to have lowered a bit. But Dean knew that the poison was still inside his body. And Bobby was still about four hours out. For all he knew this could be just the calm before the storm. But one thing was for sure: he wasn't going to leave his brother's side. He was going to sit next to him, keep watch, drink lots of coffee to keep himself from dozing off and hope for the best.

**TBC**


	14. Chapter 14

**Merry Christmas everybody! I know it's still a few days time but I'm already in such a good mood. Hope you already have all your presents? Not me, still buying stuff, baking and creating chocolates... But I still got a few days left, right? :) Okay, here we go!**

**Chapter 14**

Two hours and four cups of coffee later, Dean was still sitting in his chair next to Sam. Or more like slumped down. It was hard to sit upright and stay awake after all they've been through last night. But he didn't wanna miss even the slightest change of Sam's condition. Even if Dr. Warran had promised to wake him up in case Sam would stir. But he doubted he could sleep after all, as long as Sam wasn't out of danger yet.

His brother was still fast asleep and stable. Dr. Warran had changed his IV some time ago and checked the wound on his leg, but Sam seemed to be oblivious to all of this. His chest was rising and falling steadily with each breath he took. Dean was counting them right now – therefore he could reassure himself that Sam wasn't slipping away and it gave him something to do to stay awake. Unfortunately it was very lulling for him and Dean's eyes were soon drooping again.

He wagged his head and stood up, momentarily forgetting his messed-up knee. The moment he shifted his weight, he felt a surge of electricity shooting up his leg and fell back on his chair with a hiss. Cursing under his breath he looked around, trying to find the doc. The room was small, furnished only with the cot Sam was currently sleeping on, a table and a small fitted kitchen in the back. It seemed to be some kind of staff room, since it was in the back of the doc's office. He was nowhere in sight though and after a minute his gaze landed on the crutches leaning against Sam's cot.

"You've gotta be kiddin' me!" Dean muttered, eyeing the coffee machine on the counter only a few feet away cravingly. But with the doc somewhere in the front of his office and a sleeping Sam he definitely didn't wanna wake by calling out, he sighed and accepted his fate, reaching for the crutches.

"If you could see me now, Sammy!" Dean smirked. "What? No comment, bitch? Lucky me!"

He turned around, grabbed his cup and made his way over to the small kitchen, though wobbly and feeling totally stupid. The coffee was still warm and he inhaled the scent delightfully. Cup filled he wanted to go back but noted his dilemma. How should he carry his cup using crutches at the same time? With a frustrated snort he left one crutch behind, hobbling back to his chair and in doing so spilling coffee right over his jeans.

"Ow! Son of a … ah!" Dean slumped into his chair clumsily, second crutch clattering to the floor. He halted in midair and looked up, concerned eyes watching Sam. This should have woken a full grown moose. But his little brother didn't stir at all.

"Dean! What happened? You alright?" Dr. Warran stuck his head in at the door, eyes widening at the sight of Dean's hunched form, the fallen crutch and the spilled coffee glistening on the ground. He lowered his voice.

"Didn't I tell you to get me if you need anything?"

Dean rolled his eyes. "Didn't wanna wake Sammy. But it seems like I worried needlessly." He grasped Sam's good hand, squeezing it slightly and looking for a pulse despite the monitors behind him, feeling the low but steady throb himself, the soft and warm skin beneath his fingers – he just needed the contact, the reassurance that Sam wasn't giving up on him.

"You sure you don't wanna lay down for a moment?"

"No, I'm good here." Dean pointed at his cup of coffee. But when he raised it to drink, he noticed that there wasn't much left in it anymore after his little stunt. Dr. Warran smiled.

"Let me fill this up for you."

They sat together silently for the next half an hour, drinking coffee and keeping watch over Sam. It was dawning by now, first birds chirping happily outside as if the world was perfectly fine. Bobby called again, asking about Sam. Dean left the room for a moment to talk to him, fretting about the crutches along the way, which got him a "Such a girl!" from the grumpy old man on the phone. He was glad to hear Bobby's voice who reassured him that he was only about two hours away.

Dean had just hung up and entered the room again, seeing the doc change Sam's IV, when he noticed his brother's hand moving a little.

"Sammy?" He rushed to his side, seeing his hand raise a bit as if searching for something. Dean took it, giving it a comforting squeeze. "I'm right here, little brother. You hear me?"

Bleary eyes opened to slits, looking up at him. Dean couldn't help but smile. Sam wanted to speak, but his voice didn't cooperate, only a quiet rasping sound escaping. Dean turned around wanting to ask for a glass of water, but Dr. Warran was already thrusting one in his hand. "Only small sips." Dean nodded and helped Sam to lift his head. His little brother tried to reach for the cup himself, but was obviously too weak, hand shaking and only lifting a few inches.

"It's alright Sammy, let me do it." Dean had to slow him down, his brother being unnaturally thirsty. But his stomach seemed to tolerate it and he finished with a whispered "Thanks."

"How're you doing?" Concerned eyes scrutinized him.

"Tired. Ev'rythin's blurry." No 'okay' or 'I'm fine', Sam didn't even try to lie about it. Not good.

"You hurting anywhere?" Sam shook his head slightly.

"Where…?" Sam looked around confused.

"Still in the doc's house. We're waiting for Bobby to come here. He'll be able to help you. Don't you remember?"

His little brother frowned then shook his head a second time. "I don't…why...?" Sam eyed his bandaged arm, screwing up his face when he tried to move it. "Dean, what happ'ed?" Dean could sense his brother slowly panicking, eyes darting around quickly, breathing speeding up. The sudden beeping behind his back indicated Sam's heart rate to go haywire.

"Hey, look at me!" Sam didn't respond, wincing at the beeping sound and getting even more terrified when he noticed the nasal cannula on his face.

"Sammy!" Dean squeezed his hand and this time he got his attention, wide opened eyes turning to him. "You have to calm down! I know you're confused right now. But everything's fine. Trust me! Nothing's gonna happen to you as long as I'm here. And I'm not going anywhere."

Dean looked straight into his eyes and Sam nodded. "Breathe with me, Sammy. Come on, slow and deep breaths. You can do it." His little brother tried his best to copy him, stuttering breaths turning into shallow but steady ones. The monitors stopped their warning and Sam's hand relaxed again. He even smiled up at Dean with those puppy-dog eyes, trust glistening in them and warming up his heart. But Dean's relief was only short-lived.

Next moment Sam's eyes rolled back into his head and his muscles suddenly locked up.

"Dean, he's having a seizure!" The doc's voice reached Dean's ears like from far away while he could only watch the gruesome scene unfold in front of him, frozen to the spot. Sam's muscles started to twitch slightly, increasing until his whole body was convulsing. Strangled sounds escaped him, moaning and wailing, reminding him rather of a dying animal than a human.

"Dean! Help me!" Dr. Warran's yell filtered through to him and he saw the old man already struggling with his not-so-little-brother to hold him still. "We have to keep him from hurting himself. Take his arms!"

Dean reached for Sam's flailing arms, surprised by his strength when he was barely able to lift his hand only minutes ago. The IV had already been ripped out and drops of blood were dripping onto Dean's jeans. Dr. Warran tried to support Sam's head, cursing under his breath.

The seizure lasted only about a minute, but it felt like a lifetime for him. Sam's movements finally slowed down and his muscles stopped twitching, indicating the end of the fit. Dean breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at the doc who nodded at him.

"Dean?" Sam's voice was weak, but at least he was speaking at all. Dean turned to him, ruffling his hair affectionately.

"You gave me quite a scare here, buddy!"

"S'ry!" Sam only held his gaze for another few seconds before his eyes closed.

"Sam? Sammy?" No, no, no, stay with me! Dean shook Sam's shoulder gently, but to no effect.

"Calm down, boy. He's just asleep. That's only to be expected after a grand mal."

Dean backed away while Dr. Warran put in a new IV and attached the nasal cannula again. The doc watched the monitors closely and frowned at the oxygen level.

"What?"

"Sam seems to have some trouble breathing. His oxygen level decreased considerably."

They both watched Sam, noting his shallow breathing with concern. The doc reached for his stethoscope and listened to his lungs. He didn't look pleased at all.

"Sam developed a pulmonary edema. We have to elevate his upper body, it'll make breathing easier for him. Wait a moment!"

Dr. Warran left the room in a hurry, leaving behind a perplexed Dean. He returned with two pillows and together they lifted Sam up and stuffed them behind his back.

"I'll turn up his oxygen supply and give him cortisone."

"What caused the seizure? I thought Sam was doing better?"

The doc looked up from his work. "The poison is still in his system. We might have slowed it down a bit, but I'm afraid it was only a matter of time till it affected him systemically."

Dean ran his fingers through Sam's hair. "So what can we do now?"

Dr. Warran finished and sat down again. "We can only wait and hope for Bobby to arrive soon."

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

When Sam woke up the next time, it took him even longer to recognize where he was and – what concerned Dean even more – whom he was with. They weren't sure if it was caused by the trauma or if the poison was meddling with his brain. He was too weak to do anything more than open his eyes just for a moment. Speaking seemed to be very exhausting too. He still couldn't remember what had happened but as long as it stayed the only memory loss Dean wasn't complaining. He'd be more than glad to forget the past few hours himself.

Sam was drifting in and out of sleep while Dean fought to keep his eyes open to notice even the slightest change in his brother's condition. He didn't have another seizure so far – thank God. But it was obvious that he had trouble breathing, wheezing slightly with each breath.

Dean was hobbling through the small room, not being able to sit still anymore. Now and then he took a look outside, desperately hoping to see Bobby through the curtain of rain. But the streets were still deserted in the early morning hours. He sighed and turned around, glad to lean onto the crutches as he was too exhausted to stay upright all by himself anymore not to mention his aching knee.

Sam was just stirring again and Dean hurried back to be at his side so that he'd be the first one he saw and didn't panic. He wasn't fast enough though. Half way between the window and the bed Sam was already opening his eyes and a scared sound escaped his little brother's mouth.

"Ssssh Sammy, I'm here. See?"

Sam turned his head in his direction, but looked right through him. Dean slumped into his chair, making his brother jump and grimace with the sudden movement of his broken arm.

"Hey hey, calm down. It's just me."

Dean reached out his hand and touched Sam's arm, rubbing gently. Sam still seemed to have trouble focusing. He was trembling slightly and he blinked a few times.

"Dean?" His voice was shaky and his eyes darted around frantically. "Dean?"

"Sammy, it's okay. What- ?" He paused, an alarming suspicion overcoming him as he noticed Sam looking in his direction but still not really at him. He grabbed his hand and his little brother clutched his as though it was a lifeline. And he knew it even before Sam's anxious voice reached his ears.

"Dean, I… I can't see."

**TBC**

**Don't be mad at me, please! I know it's not a nice present to end it here... But better than nothing, right? ;) I usually planned to finish this story before Christmas, but unfortunately my plans never really work out. But I've got holiday between Christmas and NYE, so you can hope to read on soon.**

**I wish you a beautiful - maybe even white - Christmas (no snow for me) and hope you'll be nice and comment despite my cruelness. ;)**


	15. Chapter 15

**First of all: HAPPY NEW YEAR! Hope you had an amazing start into 2012. I'm so sorry that I didn't respond personally to all your wonderful, flattering and heart-warming reviews. So here a big thanks to all of you: CandyCakes, Kirabaros, BranchSuper, CeCe Away, threedays, SPN Mum, Sparkiebunny, judyann, supernaturalrenegade, pandora jazz, Alohagirls101, Colby's girl, emebalia, Laurie-Ylalen, Muckel, Lucian32, KKBELVIS and Aranna Undomiel. So off you go! I know it's short, but have fun nevertheless! :)**

**Chapter 15**

Dean registered the ringing of the doorbell only distantly. His whole attention was focused on his freaked out little brother who was almost crushing his hand in desperation and had just told him that he couldn't fucking _see_. What the hell?

Even though Sam's eyes weren't fixed on him, his whole puppy-dog-eye-look still worked. They were filled with tears and literally screaming at him to make everything okay. Cause that's what big brothers do – fix their little brothers.

But how could he? He was as shocked as Sammy probably was. Didn't have a clue why this happened, what to do – if this could even be fixed at all.

"Dean?" Sam tugged on his hand weakly. Okay, first thing to do: calm down Sammy. He can rack his brain afterwards.

He cradled Sam's face with both his hands. "Sssh, it's okay. It's probably nothing, just the shock. Only temporary." He brushed a tear away that had managed to escape and rolled down his cheek. "Sammy?"

Sam sniffed, took a stuttering breath and nodded. Good, little brother trusted him. Now he'd just have to trust his own words.

They both jumped when a sound behind them broke the silence. Dean turned around and relief swept over him. Dr. Warran was standing in the doorway and next to him no other than Bobby.

Dean felt Sam trembling beside him – of course he didn't fucking _see_ what he did. "Hey Sammy, Bobby is here. It's gonna be okay now."

"What happened?" Dr. Warran watched Sam thoughtfully.

Dean had a lump in his throat and had to try twice to find his voice. "He can't see anything. Just woke up like this."

Dean couldn't help but look pleadingly up at the doc, hoping to hear some reassurance himself. But he looked as surprised as he had and his expression was far from "It's nothing". He was glad Sam couldn't see their silent exchange. His heart sank.

Bobby stepped forward and laid his hand on Dean's shoulder, squeezing comfortingly.

"Can't leave ya boys alone, can I?"

Dean could only smile half-heartedly as Bobby kneeled down and took Sam's hand.

"Hey kiddo!" He felt Sam's tension easing and Dean's heart warmed up. "Hang in there! You'll be as good as new in no time."

They waited till Sam had calmed down and drifted off to sleep again before they left the room to talk, though leaving the door ajar to keep an eye on him.

"You look like hell boy!"

Bobby scrutinized him, raising an eyebrow at the crutches that Dean held on for dear life. He was sure if he even tried to stand all on his own, he'd make a sensational nosedive even Sammy would go green with envy. Obviously Bobby guessed the same cause next moment he felt himself being forced gently onto a nearby chair. His hand lingered on his shoulder for a few more seconds and Dean couldn't help but lean into it, enjoying the comfort it gave him. To hell with the chick-flicks, he'd earned the right for it today.

"It's so good to see you Bobby. What would we do without you?" The weight that had tried to crush him over the past hours finally lifted off, exhaustion taking over.

"I don't even wanna think about that…" Bobby grumbled, but smiled at him. "Let's get to work then. This antitoxin isn't done by itself."

Bobby lifted up a paper bag and started to spread the contents on a nearby table. Glass jars of dried leaves and herbs came into view, vials with different colored liquid, some shed snake's skin, a small package that – Dean swallowed – seemed to be soaked in blood and another jar that was placed directly next to him. He eyed it with a frown, his face twisting with disgust at the sight.

"Is this… what I think it is?"

Bobby answered without even looking up from his work. He'd already set up a large bowl in front of him, starting to mix the first ingredients.

"It is. Leeches."

Dean swallowed and put it back on the table, pushing it aside.

"Don't tell me Sam has to _drink_ this?"

"Hell yeah, what did ya think?"

"Then we definitely shouldn't tell him what _this_ really is."

Thank God Sam was sleeping in the next room or he'd never be able to choke this down.

Dean turned around and watched Dr. Warran injecting something over Sam's IV line while his brother was fast asleep, somehow even looking peaceful. Unfortunately he knew better than that.

"He's going to be alright, you know…" Dean turned around and saw Bobby studying him.

"How do you know?" He sounded defeated, he knew it. Couldn't help it though, he was too exhausted to keep up the fight anymore.

Bobby raised his eyebrow. "First of all we have this." He pointed at the half-finished antitoxin in front of him, while waving around a bloody something Dean surely didn't wanna know out of what this came from.

"And secondly you two are the most stubborn boys I know and if somebody is strong enough to survive this, it's Sam. With you at his side all the more."

Dean didn't know what to say to that. Bobby winked at him and continued to mix the potion.

But he was right! Sam was one of the strongest persons he knew and they've already come so far… he won't give up now, they'll keep their tails up.

Ten minutes later Bobby was almost done, just the hair of the monster spider missing for the final touch. Dean gave it to him and they watched tensely as Bobby let it drop inside the bowl. They waited… but nothing happened.

"Now what? You think it worked?"

"How the hell shall I know? Never made this before."

Dean bent over the bowl, an unpleasant odor reaching his nostrils. He wrinkled his nose.

"Woah! Holy sh…!" Wads of smoke suddenly rose up, swirling around his head and making him cough.

"Get back!" They both leant back, watching the liquid bubbling and turning from dark red into dead black. A moment later the swirls of smoke ceased and the potion stilled.

"Well, this should do it!"

"Dean! Bobby!" Dr. Warran's panicked voice reverberated around the room. Dean was up in no time, wrenching open the door and hobbling to Sam's side, Bobby on his heels.

Sam was convulsing again. Dean's crutches clattered to the ground when he dropped down on the bed, taking hold of Sam's flailing arms and pinning his legs. The doc already had a hold on his head. The seizure was shorter this time but all the worse. Dean was panting heavily when it ended. And to all their horror Sam was barely breathing afterwards, blood pressure dangerously low. The doc began bustling around them hurriedly.

"Bobby?", yelled Dean anxiously, not daring to keep his eyes off his brother.

Bobby sank down beside him, a vial of the antitoxin clutched in his hand.

"Sam? Sammy?" Dean's hands were cradling Sam's head but he wasn't responding. God damn it! Dean tried his best to imitate their Dad's voice, barking: "Sam!"

His heart made a jump when Sam groaned, indicating that he was awake. Bobby raised the vial, touching his lips but Sam pressed them together, trying to turn his head weakly to the side. Dean kept it still though.

"Sammy, don't! It's alright. You've got to drink this." Sam didn't seem to hear him, still refusing to open his lips. "Sammy, please! It'll help you, I promise. Trust me!"

Dean didn't wanna force his brother but he wouldn't hesitate if it meant saving his life. To his surprise Sam suddenly relaxed and his lips parted slightly. Bobby tipped the vial and he took small sips, obviously having trouble to swallow. When the vial was empty Dean gently lowered him back on the pillow. Sam was already passed out seconds later, leaving behind a freaked out big brother, an anxious Uncle Bobby and a concerned doc, all waiting for the antitoxin to take hold.

**TBC**

**I'm afraid last time TBC. Only one chapter left! :) Coming soon... (I should stop saying this...) Take care everyone!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Aawh, this is really the end... Last chapter guys! A very big and special thanks to everyone who stayed with me till the end, to my loyal reviewers who made me smile and gave me strength each time and made writing so much more fun. I'm really blessed, thank you! :) Have fun as always and I hope you like it!**

** supernaturalrenegade: I'm so sorry I broke my promise - sort of - you'll know why. ;) But I just couldn't resist!**

**Chapter 16**

It was dark. Not the shady kind of dark but pitch black. He couldn't see anything. Where was he? He tried to move but his body didn't respond. Come to think of it, he couldn't feel a damn thing at all. Not good. What the hell was going on? He tried to remember what had happened but everything was a blur. Maybe Sam could help him out. He was the smart one after all.

"Sam?" His voice was scratchy but at least it worked. "Sammy?"

Wait, was that an echo? He tried to make sense of it but his mind was too scrambled and he just couldn't concentrate. And his little brother didn't seem to bother answering.

A shuffling behind him made him jump. Or at least it would have if he were able to move. Also meaning he couldn't even turn around to look at the threat that seemed to come closer. It had to be a threat cause Sam wouldn't just ignore his frantic calls and sneak up on him like this. And not being able to see, feel and move definitely smelled of trouble. The Winchester kind of trouble.

Dean had to squeeze his eyes shut when a blazing light suddenly flashed and blinded him. It was painful after the long darkness and he didn't dare to open his eyes despite the shuffling being at his side now. He held his breath and waited… but the shuffling passed him.

He exhaled and squinted carefully. He looked right into the beam of a flashlight lying on the rocky ground only a few feet away from him. Okay, not strange at all… He lifted his eyes up and noticed that what surrounded him was unmistakably a cave. Somehow that rang a bell… but he was still too dazed to rack his brain about it.

The shuffling was slightly to his right now and his gaze shifted. His heart stopped. His throat closed up and he couldn't breathe anymore. He wanted to scream but his voice literally stuck in his throat.

A hairy black spider was only a few feet away from him, tall and bulky, its pincers clicking dangerously. But the shadow it was looming above was the reason his world just started to crumble and collapse ferociously on him.

Sam was lying at its feet in a pool of blood, clothes ripped, skin deathly pale, hair dirty and a mess but not obscuring his eyes which were wide open, staring at him lifelessly.

The lump in his throat finally vanished and his tortured scream split the air.

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Dean jumped, almost knocking over the chair he was sitting in. He suppressed a cry when a flash of blinding pain ran down from his knee to his foot. He gasped for air and opened his eyes, looking directly into the concerned face of Bobby who was bent over, hand resting on his arm, obviously trying to get his attention.

"Yeah, I'm right here. I… I'm okay."

Bobby shot him a look that clearly said to shove his 'okay' up his a…!

Dean ignored it and tried to control his breathing. He looked around, taking in the slightly dimmed hospital room and Sam's bed right in front of him. His little brother was sleeping safely in it, very much alive - thank god - not disturbed at all by the commotion. A monitor next to his bed showed a constant and rhythmic heart rate, stabile blood pressure and normal oxygen levels. It really looked like Sam was just taking a nap, facial expression relaxed and his breaths even. But Dean knew better. Because nobody could just sleep through a whole five fucking days.

"You know, you'd be much more comfortable in your own bed. And your knee would be thankful for it too."

Dean looked across the room to where a second hospital bed stood.

"No, I'm good here."

"Yeah sure, that's why you've got such a hard grip on your leg like it could fall off at any moment."

Oh… right, he didn't notice. He dropped his hand and took Sam's instead.

"The bed is just too far away. I wanted to stay with Sam – you know, just in case he wakes up today. "

Bobby sighed and watched Sam for a few seconds, his expression unreadable.

"It is only a few feet away, I'm sure the boy will see you right away when he wakes up."

Dean snorted. "But that's the thing, Bobby we don't know if Sam will be able to _see_ at all. And I just know he'll freak out, get all tangled up in his bed sheets and take a nosedive to the floor before I can even be out of my bed."

"The doctors said his loss of vision is most likely due to the poison and it should wear off with the antidote we gave him."

"They don't know jack squat what had really taken Sammy down! And they also said Sam would wake up in a day or two. It's been five days Bobby!"

"Don't take that tone with me boy! I know you're worried like hell about your brother. But you're not the only one. We're in the same boat here."

Dean stared at him then sank back into his chair, suddenly ashamed of himself. Of course he wasn't the only one who was anxiously waiting for Sammy to wake up here. Bobby had been at his side the whole time. He sighed.

"You're right. Sorry!", he mumbled.

"Don't worry, you got a freebie here."

Dean smiled sadly and his mind drifted off.

To their surprise the antidote had worked immediately and Sam's breathing and blood pressure had been back to normal within an hour. They'd waited another few hours to see if Sam needed another dose of the disgusting stuff. Fortunately the stinking goo didn't make an appearance, Sam stayed seizure-free and they'd decided it'd be safe to take him to the hospital.

They'd made up a story fitting for their condition – earning a few dark looks for not coming to the hospital firstly which they ignored – and Sam had been sent to surgery in an instant to reset his arm. That had been five days ago and despite his stability and the reassurances of the doctors Sam stubbornly slept on, not even cracking his eyes open for a few seconds. That was just so Sammy like – making him worried and scared to death so he could initiate the perfect chick-flick when he'd finally wake up.

Dean had been shipped to a MR despite his blustering protests as soon as Sam had been out of his sight. He'd been relieved that he didn't need any surgery – as if he would've agreed anyway as long as Sam was still out of it. But with some overstretched ligaments and meniscal tear he'd been confined to bed rest and no physical loading at all. Like he'd do that! The only good thing out of it was the highly effective pain meds they were stuffing him with.

Bobby's voice pulled him out of thoughts. "I just talked to Jeff on the phone. All went smoothly, eggs and bodies burned like hell. Whole place is clean now."

"Glad to hear!"

Right, Bobby had called in some favors from hunters he knew to take care of the remnants of their hunt – no more spidery trouble around here.

"I'll never even go near a spider again!"

Bobby snorted. "What? You wanna barricade up in your castle, princess?"

Dean opened his mouth to protest but was beat by a whispered voice behind him.

"Who's the princess now, eh?"

He turned around abruptly and was met with puppy-dog eyes, looking up at him sleepily. Sam's lips curled into a smile at his presumably bewildered look.

"Hey Dean."

Dean's hand found Sam's instantly, his brother clutching at it thankfully. And no, that doesn't count as a chick-flick – not after you just escaped death by a whisker.

"It's good to see you awake, Sammy."

Sam gave a small laugh. "I'd say it's good to _see_ at all."

Dean's eyes widened and he sent a silent thank-you upwards – not that he believed someone would actually hear it… but it still felt good somehow.

"You sure?"

Sam cocked his eyebrows. "Not anymore when I see you praying like this."

Oh damn, nothing gets past that kid. Bobby shot him an I-told-you-so-look – okay guys, that's enough – before he stepped forward and placed a hand on Sam's shoulder who was smiling up at him in return.

Dean knew nightmares might haunt him for some time now – almost losing your little brother didn't just pass you by without leaving a trace. But as long as he'd wake up to that smile again he'll be alright, of that he was sure. They both will be.

**The End**

**Sniff... wow, that's it! Thank you so much again for reading. I hope you had as much fun as I had had with writing?**

**And don't worry - it might be the end of this story, but my muse is already on my tail again. :) I'll let her enjoy herself as soon as I'm done with my current exams. **

**Take care everyone, cheers!**


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